No Manners, Just Cane No Wings, Just Fang
by wooster182
Summary: HouseAngel crossover. Don't have to watch House to follow. AngelCam and then the rest of the ships are surprises. Starts 2 years after Angel finale and during S3 of House. Please rr!
1. Road Trip

Chapter 1

_He twisted her copper-brown hair through his fingers while he dusted kisses over her face and neck. He was consumed by the twinkle dancing in her eyes from the reflection of the fire in the hearth. Her body writhed underneath him; her soft moans of "Greg" floated in the sweetly scented air._

"_Allison," he called as her hands massaged the backs of his thighs ever so addictively. A breeze drifted through the windows, lifting the silky white curtains from their resting place, tickling their already damp skin. _

_The full moon glowed in all its mystery and seductiveness into the bedroom. Through the dizziness she was creating in his mind, he reflected on how pure the bright beam made them seem. There was no one in the world that mattered but them. In this reality, there was no muscle-loss or canes, no dead husbands, or drug induced actions. It was just Greg and Allison._

_She pulled the covers up over them more, then lifted her head to kiss him on the lips. As he was about to join them physically as one, his amazing blue eyes looked down at her. He cupped her face with his hand to urge her to look at him. When their eyes connected, both felt as if _they_ were in that fireplace—burning, popping, twisting with desire._

"_Allison," he whispered gruffly, "I love you."_

_Her face cringed in pain, and she dug her fingernails into his biceps. His eyes bulged in panic. He helplessly watched as her breathing became heavy and her body bowed from sheer misery. "Ally, what's wrong?"_

"_Greg, help me," she begged weakly before her heart stopped. Her body went limp. He cried when he looked into her still open, but lifeless eyes that were staring vacantly at the ceiling._

Greg House jumped in his bed as if trying to escape from his nightmare. He had dreamt of his employee Allison Cameron before, but it had never ended like this. Throwing his feet over the side of his bed, House dropped his head in his hands. He never wanted to go to work, but definitely not today. After that dream, he did not want to look at her for awhile.

House's thoughts drifted back to his nightmare. He kept seeing her pained, dying face, shuddering each time it flashed through his mind. The diagnostician was not one to believe in omens, but as he stepped into the shower, he had a sick feeling that something bad was going to happen.

……………………………………

Cameron was making coffee in the office early that Monday morning. Inhaling a deep breath of the coffee beans, she felt good. It was a bright, sunny day. She had heard the birds chirping. And she had realized once and hopefully for all that she wanted nothing more to do romantically with Greg House.

Allison Cameron had been hurt so many times by love. She didn't want to be the victim anymore. Her affair with Chase was over now when he fell for someone else. The young doctor wanted to take life by the proverbial horns and shake the hell out of it.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she did not hear him enter the conference room.

"Cameron?"

Turning, she saw Wilson standing in front of her. "Good morning," she nearly sang. She then spun back around to finish the coffee.

Wilson pursed his lips. He knew this wasn't a good idea. But seeing House almost die last month had woken him up. James Wilson was wasting his life. He had three failed marriages and no children. All he had was Greg House. Wilson wanted more. For almost a year and a half, he wanted Cameron, but he never let it show because he thought that House had feelings for her. The oncologist had even _pushed_ House to start a relationship with her because he thought it would make him happy, but inwardly he had been dying. Wilson wanted to hug her and kiss her and share all things not sharable with anyone else—not even House. "Good morning," he answered in his normally deep voice.

"If you're looking for House, he has yet to arrive. You would think this hospital was a red carpet event the way he likes to make entrances," Cameron told Wilson with a witty smile.

Wilson's eyes swung towards the window as he coughed nervously. "Actually, I'm here to ask you something," he said, stepping closer.

Her eyebrows shot up and she stopped what she was doing. "What is it? Is everything all right?" she asked, his tone worrying her.

He waved his hands in front of himself to calm her. "No, nothing's wrong," he replied. "I just wondered if you would like to go to dinner with me."

Cameron tried to not let her jaw fall, but it was difficult. She gave his request some thought. Wilson was a good man, but he was House's best friend. That could cause some tension, but she did know that nothing was going to come of her feelings for House and Wilson could be a potential future. She asked him as she had House, "Like a date?"

But this time, she got a different answer. "Yes."

Cameron glanced up at him. "Okay."

……………………………………

THREE DAYS BEFORE

Angel walked into his apartment, tossing his keys onto the coffee table. His living quarters were small. The vampire did not need much room now that his team, his friends were gone.

Memories of that last day of battle two years ago with them still chased him in his dreams and in his thoughts, of the day that he had decided to take on the big powers that ran the wheels of Wolfram and Hart.

_Needless to say, he had pissed off some already angry demons. But Angel knew it was time to end it. They certainly would not stop evil with this fight, but they would cause a stir. And a stir was all he wanted. He wanted the bastards to know that he would fight forever, hard, no matter how hard or how long forever was._

_He had been to Hell once, and that had been—well, hell. But this time he had reined it down upon Earth. And for once, Buffy would not be at his side during an apocalypse. If she didn't trust him—fine. Angel would think twice about waiting for her cookies to bake any longer, if he lived to do any more cooking of his own._

"_Well, personally, I want to slay the dragon. Let's get to work," he told the last shreds of his friends, his only family. More demons than the eye could see were charging towards him, Spike, Illyria, and a dying Gunn. Angel thought one more time about how much he loved them before he ran into the crowd, his sword above his head._

_As the metal clashed against the thick skin of brutal demon, a piercing white light flashed through all of LA. It was so blinding that the four of them had to shut their eyes. Once they reopened them, they blinked through the rain. Angel bobbled his head from left to right, but no demons, no monsters, no scary things were left in front of them. They had all disappeared. _

_But something was still glowing in the distance. Angel lifted his hand to tell the others to stay put as he went towards the light. Two women stood there in flowing white gowns._

_Darla. Cordelia._

_He ran towards them. Blood trickled down his forehead as he fell to his knees in front of them. Darla placed her hand on his cheek and smiled. "My darling boy." When she saw the confusion still in his face, she continued, "The light was the Powers that Be."_

_Cordelia finished for her. "They thought you could use some divine intervention. I could have told them that!" she teased. He stood up in order to take her all in. She had been his love and he couldn't save her. "You did it, Champ," she said. Then her face pulled down thoughtfully as only Cordelia Chase could when there was some bad news. "You might get a little miffed about this though."_

_Angel grabbed her arms, mostly just to feel her one last time. "What is it, Cordy?" he asked quietly, joyful tears of survival stinging his eyes._

"_The Powers say that the Shansu prophesy wasn't really talking about you in this particular instance," she informed him. There was an ancient prophesy that claimed a vampire with a soul who had a role in an upcoming apocalypse would shed his demon and become once again, human._

_He shook his head. "I signed my right to it away. It doesn't apply to me now anyway."_

_Darla stepped back in, saying, "That's not exactly true. Just because you told a bunch of lowlife demons that you didn't want it does not mean that the Powers have to adhere to it. It just means that—"_

"_You're not going to be the lucky boy today," Cordy finished._

_Angel's head teetered between both women. "Then who is?" he asked with frustration._

"_Hey, hey, I'm not a vampire anymore!" Spike cried, seeing his reflection in a puddle of water. "That's bloody all right!" _

_Angel threw his head back, letting the rain pelt his face. "Oh, hell."_

So Spike got rewarded. And Angel got to keep fighting evil. It was so not a fair trade, but what could he do? At least Buffy was still dating the Immortal and turned Captain Peroxide down when he came knocking. That had been about his only solace.

Angel moved to Cleveland six months ago. He heard there was a hellmouth there, so since Buffy had decided to traipse around Europe with her eternally young boyfriend, he went to Ohio. Staking and having visions and killing and helping the helpless.

But at least now he wasn't on his own. Spike had told Faith, the second-string Slayer, what had happened in LA. The bad girl had always liked Angel more than the self righteous Buffy anyway, so she packed it in and had headed back to the states. Faith was now living in an apartment down the street from him.

And then there was Keen, short for Joaquin Cooper. He was twenty-five and Angel had met him in Ohio. He was a demon hunter. The kid was tall and muscular with a mop of black hair messily tossed on his head.

And thus Angel Investigations was back in business.

Faith opened the door and barged right into Angel's apartment. "So, you got anything for us, boss?" she hollered to him from the living room. She rightly assumed that he was changing his clothes. "I'm itching for a fight," she added, punching the air. The young Slayer had calmed down considerably compared to what she was before she had went to prison for murder. Angel saw a lot of himself in her and he was grateful that they were able to turn her around before she had been completely lost. "If I can't have a brawl, I'm up for a good screw," she said huskily. "Are you?" she asked with the double entendre in mind.

He smiled. Faith, good or bad, was always blunt. "I'd like to keep my soul, but thanks for the offer," Angel said shyly. All those years, and he still had an awe shucks demeanor. Faith found it odd but comforting. "I haven't had a vision yet and no one has called in about a case, but—" His words cut off as images zoomed through his mind.

"What is it?" Faith shouted, running for his room.

She saw him doubled over, his hand to his head. It wasn't that painful because his demon half soaked up the pain. He had instead reacted from what he had seen.

_Road sign. Vampires. A bar. Kate._

Angel grabbed the shirt he hadn't had time to put on before, quickly buttoning it up. Rushing past her, he said, "I saw New Jersey. Kate Lockley is in trouble in New Jersey."

TBC


	2. Date from Hell

Chapter 2

"Lockley, you got a phone call," a burley police officer shouted in the crowded Princeton Plainsborough police station.

"I got it. Thanks, Eddy." Detective Kate Lockley closed the door to her office and moved over to her desk. Picking up the phone, she said, "Lockley."

She recognized the voice of her informant. "Something big is going down tonight, Sweetie," he said. She could hear the worry in his voice.

"Where? What?"

"I don't have too many details, Cupcake," he replied. "I just know it's scary and it's happening at that swanky restaurant Doble."

Kate's eyes surveyed the door, making sure no one was listening. "Is it mob?"

She heard a sigh at the other end of the line. "No, just your run of the mill fang gang with the typical plan to end the world."

"I think I'd rather deal with the mob."

The informant chuckled. "Just wear something cute. The apocalypse is so much easier to take when you're dressed like a diva."

…………………………………………

Wilson didn't even look up when he heard his office door open. He did not have an upcoming appointment. He knew who it was. "There is such a thing as knocking. Are all human decencies lost on you?"

House loomed over his friend's desk. "The only decency you seem to be lacking is when it comes to women and your penis."

Wilson flinched. "She told you."

"No, I overheard the nurses talking. They've got a pool going on how long it will take you to marry her. And a separate one for how long it will take you to cheat on her. I've got Month Five."

Wilson sighed. He regretted not telling House himself but he had wanted to see if Cameron would tell him. He wondered what it meant that she had not. He did know it was time to be serious with his friend. "Are you okay?"

House twirled his cane. "The bigger question is: are you okay?"

Wilson shook his head, dropping his pen to his desk. "What do you mean?"

House tilted his head up. "Well, Cameron only goes for the broken ones. Are you dying or have you just developed a Daddy Complex?"

"Are you okay with this?" Wilson repeated.

His deep brown eyes focused on House. House knew that look. He knew that Wilson would give this up if he asked him to. But then that damn dream crept through his thoughts again. There was no reason in thinking that it was an omen or that it meant she should stay away from him, but those dead eyes made him want to push her away.

"House, are we okay?"

House blinked, realizing he had been in a haze for several minutes. "Yeah, we're okay. Just don't ask me to be the godfather when you two have kids. Those are going to be some self-aware little brats." He made a face and made a high pitch whine as to imitate the children, saying, "Uncle House, why are you mean to people? And who's that lady with no clothes that you're paying?"

Wilson laughed, relieved. "It's just dinner, House. I don't think that even asking her about her dreams, hopes, and aspirations will move her enough on the first date."

House raised an eyebrow. "You're too hard on yourself, Jimmy-boy. If I was a chick, your finely styled hair would have me peeling my panties right now."

Wilson smiled. But he could see worry in House's eyes and mistakenly took it as affection for Cameron. "I'm sorry if this hurt you."

House turned to leave. "Don't worry about my fragile feelings." He put his head to his hand in his best Scarlet O'Hara. As he turned back to face Wilson, he said seriously, "Just don't hurt her."

……………………………………………

"Don't hurt her, boys," she said. The vampire smiled, her eyes glowing with the thought of mayhem. "Well, not much anyway. We want her alive until the full moon." Her hips swayed to the music in her head.

The army of vampires growled with hunger and the heat of the hunt. "Can we eat, Master? Please let us bring some back to you," Tobias, the leader of the soldiers asked. He could already envision the fear of the humans in Doble. He could almost taste their blood.

She clapped her hands together in joy. "Yes, bring Mummie a treat. I just love take-out."

They all laughed, happy to please their master.

……………………………………

"I've always wanted to come to this restaurant. I've just never had the opportunity," Cameron said, her eyelashes lightly brushing her skin as she looked down at her hands. "Thank you."

Wilson smiled. His eyes gazed around the restaurant, Doble, soaking in the luxury and beauty of the darkened room. "I came here once with the Board. I've never brought a date here, though."

They both avoided looking at each other as they became silent. Both realized that the nervousness they felt was not butterflies but awkwardness. They had loved House for a long time. It was the only thing they actually had in common.

It had always been easier than this for Wilson to connect with women. He wasn't exactly sure what to say. For over a year, he had imagined conversations with her in his thoughts, but those topics all seemed silly now. "So," he said, "what do you hope to do in the future?" _Dreams, Hopes, Aspirations._

She raised her brow. "Well, I want to finish my work at the hospital and then I'm not so sure."

He shifted in his chair, surprised. Wilson was the type to always have a five year plan, if not ten, and he expected Cameron to be the same way. "Why?"

She stared at the candle on their table as she thought about the question. "I've been so focused on…work these past few years that I didn't want to think about leaving it."

Wilson knew _it_ was actually House. She didn't want to leave _him_. Or she hadn't wanted to until maybe recently.

"So what about you? What are your plans?"

He didn't have to think before he answered. "I want to finally make a commitment. A real commitment. I want to have a child."

Cameron made a face without even thinking. "Ugh. I never want children. I used to, but I don't want to be responsible for screwing up any more of the six billion people already on this planet."

She saw the horror in his face from her crass answer and they both knew. "This isn't going to happen is it?" Wilson said in that quiet honesty only he had.

Cameron pleated her navy blue dress with her fingers. She smiled. "I wish that it would."

He nodded. "Let's finish the dinner as friends, okay?"

"Sounds good to me."

Wilson glanced up to drink his wine and he happened to look beyond Cameron. She was tall with long, honey blonde hair that brushed her shoulders. Her black dress hugged at her shapely figure. She looked like a tomboy, which Wilson found endearing, but she was still beautiful. He noticed that her eyes kept darting around as she made her way to the bar. He couldn't help but wonder what color they were.

The woman sat down at the bar. Her hand clutched at her purse, gripping the stake inside. Kate wished she could tell which were vampires in the restaurant. She wished more that knew what their plan was.

Then she saw him. She had not seen him in years. Her heart jumped. But it also fell. Angel wouldn't go all the way here from Ohio just to say hi. Something big must really be coming.

Angel saw her from across the room. He almost forgot he was there to save her. She was more beautiful now than the seven years before when he met her. He grinned at the memory of first meeting her at a bar, her in a dress alone.

"Boss, I think we should start moving here," Keen told him. "There's a potential for a lot of bloodshed."

"Let's try not to make it ours," Faith said beside him. She made fists at her side. She was preparing to fight, but she also felt uncomfortable in this fancy restaurant. Her momma had always called her trash. She felt easier in prison.

"Do we have a plan?" Keen asked.

He could feel the vampires around him. There were several. "Kill as many bumpy faces as possible and try not to die," Angel said.

"I think that plan is going to fail," Tobias said as his human face transformed into the demon he was. Angel turned to see the vamp standing behind him. Before he had time to react, Tobias hit him as hard as he could in the face, knocking him across the room into a table of customers. The crowd gasped as the vamps all showed themselves and began killing, drinking, and attacking Keen and Faith.

Kate jumped up, stake ready in hand. She drove it hard into the chest of the vamp coming at her. She kicked another in the gut and tried to run towards Angel. But the vampire tripped her and she fell to the floor with a _thump_. Wilson stood, grabbing the back of his chair and the seat. He kicked it, breaking off a leg. He went after Kate and the vamp that was about to rip out her throat.

He staked it in the back with ease.

The vampire turned to dust that fell around Kate. She coughed on the remains as she scrambled to get up. Her eyes connected with Wilson for a moment until they both turned, back to back, to survey the damage in the restaurant. Customers were hysterical and running for the door. She shouted at him, "Get as many people out of here that you can!"

Wilson nodded. He punched another vamp in the face before staking it. He shoved people towards the exit, telling them to hurry, killing as many vampires as he could. Finally noticing that Cameron was cowering under the bar, he whispered, "You have to get out of here."

Panic flashed in her eyes. "I won't leave without you."

"So you're going to hide supportively? You need to get out of here alive!"

She shook her head fiercely. "No, I'm safer right here."

Wilson took a fast breath. "Fine, just don't make a sound." He left her there and rejoined the fight.

"There's so damn many," Faith grunted as she took the hatchet from behind her back, spinning herself into a swing that decapitated two vamps at the same time.

"Our Master serves many. Many serve our Master," one said as he sized her up. "Soon she will be mother to all the earth and then you will see."

Faith grabbed his arm and broke it. "You sick fu—" Tobias hit her in the head with a chair before she could finish.

Regaining quickly, she said, "This is what I don't like about vampire cults. They show no respect for fine dining."

"You are the dinner, Slayer," he growled.

"And you're a day late," Angel said, punching him in the kidney. "_People_ was the special yesterday."

Faith nailed him with a stake before Angel could stop her. "What the hell?" he cried. "We could have used him for information."

"Whine about it after we don't die, okay, Ace?" Faith said as she gave a roundhouse kick to another demon.

After half an hour of fighting, the vamps had either retreated or were dead. The crew was bloody but all still alive, including Wilson.

"Too bad it takes an apocalypse to see you, Angel," Kate said as she crashed into a booth.

Angel chuckled. "Well, at least I can still see you. From the looks of my vision three days ago, they planned on taking you out."

"My mother wanted me to be an accountant," Keen said. He sat down backwards in a chair and smiled. "Glad I didn't listen to her." He liked a good fight, and this was definitely one that would go down as a favorite.

"Who the hell are you?" Faith said, lifting her chin as she looked at Wilson. He was sitting on the floor, breathing hard.

"I'm an oncologist. And I'd definitely say we wiped out a cancer tonight."

"Guess it ruined your date, though," Kate said. She had noticed him and Cameron before the fight started.

Bells sounded off in his head. Why hadn't she come from behind the bar? He bounded towards it. Looking back at the group he said, "She's gone."

Angel spun his stake in his hand. "Guess she was smart enough to run."

Wilson saw blood on the floor. "No," he gasped. "They took her."

…………………………………

The Master danced in delight. "Well, now, have my boys brought Mummie her treat?"

There were only a handful of vamps left, but they were proud. "Yes," one said. He shoved Cameron, making her fall at the female vampire's feet. "We have The Gift."

The Master licked at the tip of her finger. The birds sang in her head. "Don't worry, love," she told Cameron. "You're going to change the world. That's what you always wanted to do. You couldn't do it with your husband or that mean doctor with the cane. But you'll do it with us."

Cameron's mascara ran down her face. The vamp licked her cheek, tasting her salty tears.

"Who are you?" Cameron asked, her fear turning quickly into hatred.

The vampire bounced up straight like a happy girl who had been picking flowers. Her eyes even looked innocent. "I'm your guardian, Allison."

She picked Cameron up and put her face close to hers.

"Just call me Auntie Drusilla."

TBC


	3. Who Are You?

Chapter 3

"We have to get her back!" Wilson ran his fingers through his hair. He had let someone close to him get taken. Again. He almost couldn't bear it. But he had to focus. Cameron's life depended on it.

"First, we need to know why someone would take her," Angel said. He stood up and moved towards Wilson, his shoulders rolled and his brow furrowed as Angel always did when he tried to get information that he wasn't beating out of someone. "Who are you—actually?"

Wilson took a swig of the beer he had swiped from the bar. "I already told you. I'm a doctor at Princeton Plainsborough Teaching Hospital. So is Allison Cameron."

"How do you know about vampires?" Kate asked. She hadn't even noticed that her brand new little black dress was in shreds now.

He glanced down at his hand. He did not like to talk about it. No one knew, not even House or his family, that he continually trained. He would patrol three nights a week. His wives did not know where he would go those nights and it always eventually led to their divorce. He let them believe, let House believe, that infidelity had destroyed those relationships, but the truth was that he had never once cheated on any woman. It was safer for them to think that, though.

"How do you know about vampires?" Faith said. She wasn't in the mood to cater to handsome guys in distress. She wanted to save the girl. Needed to save her. For her own redemption.

Wilson looked at Kate. He had a feeling that she would understand. "I lost someone I loved to a vampire."

And Kate did understand. Her father was murdered by vampires and demons. For a long time, she blamed Angel for that. But she knew now that it was the darkness' fault. So she had moved here to New Jersey to fight it as much as she could.

"And your girlfriend," Faith said. "Does she know about vampires?"

Wilson shook his head. "She's not my girlfriend. And I don't think so. She doesn't seem to believe in anything. And she was pretty damn scared tonight."

"This would be a really good time to have a vision, Angel." Keen took the knife from his pocket and began sharpening his wooden stake.

"I could try sending a memo to the Powers That Be, but I don't think that would help," Angel said sarcastically. "You know they only let me see what they want me to."

"Visions?" Wilson asked.

Kate sat down next to Wilson. "He gets messages from the Powers That Be when he's needed. It's kind of like being psychic." Angel had kept in contact with her since she left LA, so she knew what had happened in the last few years.

"We're just going to have to track her," Angel said, picking up his leather coat from a table and bounding towards the front door.

"It's still creepy that you can smell people," Kate said as she fell into step behind Faith and Keen.

Wilson, still slightly dazed, caught up to them as they headed for Angel's car.

Angel popped open the trunk and stared down at the many weapons. He picked up his favorite broadsword as the rest of the group started gathering their choice of weaponry. "Pick wisely people," Angel told them. "There's going to be some damage done tonight."

"What in the hell is going on?"

They all looked up to see the voice standing in front of them.

Wilson's jaw dropped. He wasn't going to be able to lie about this one.

"Did you join a cult?" the voice continued. "Is this what you do on all your first dates?"

Wilson took a step forward. "House, you need to get out of here. Now."

TBC


	4. Fights and Fantasies

Chapter 4

Chase was taking another cold shower. After breaking things off with Cameron, he had been taking a lot of those lately. But not because of her.

He did not have this other woman but he wanted her. The water trickled down his back and chest and even the coldness could not stop him from fantasizing.

_She was in the shower with him, watching the droplets caress his skin. He massaged her head, entangling her dark curls in his fingers while she rested her own hands on his waist, rubbing her thumbs against his strong stomach. _

"_Are you teasing me?" Chase asked._

_Her lips turned up seductively. "No," she said softly._

"_Can you?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with passion and lust. "Please?"_

_She moved up against him, her curves moving at all the right angles. Licking his neck, she took a small bite of his skin._

"_Ah," he sighed. "You're very bad."_

"_And you love it," she chuckled as her hand slid down his abs and further._

_He pushed her against the shower wall. Bending down to kiss her chest and stomach, his soft, wet blonde hair tickled her skin as the only sounds around them was the pattering of the water and their moans of pleasure._

_He lifted his head while he rubbed the back of her thighs. "Do you love it?"_

_Her stunning eyes glowed into his. "You know I do."_

_He joined them as one as the steam danced around them. _

The phone rang, startling him awake from his daydream. The cold shower had not helped. He wrapped a towel around his waist and went into his living room. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mr. Chase? I am from a survey company and just wanted to ask you a few—"

He hung up the phone before she had time to finish. Flopping on the couch, he let out a deep breath. That was the first call he had received in two weeks. He had no family, not really any friends, and the woman he loved barely realized he was there.

"Lord, help me," he whispered. It was the third prayer he had said that day.

………………………………

House had come to spy as he had on Cuddy and her date a few months ago. But this time it was out of more than nosiness. He hated that he was going by gut instinct. Looking around the outside of the restaurant was not helping. There was blood on the windows and a few people that looked dead or unconscious. He could hear sirens coming.

House glanced over the group. Cameron wasn't there. Panic flooded his veins. Bounding towards Wilson, he asked, "Where is she, Wilson?"

"They took her," Wilson answered. He gripped the axe in his hand. "If we waste any more time, she'll be dead. Get out of here, House."

"C'mon, Cancer-boy," Faith called. "We're heading out."

"Who is _they_?" House asked, stepping even closer to his friend. "Do you all need to go to the Psych ward?"

"Vampires!" Wilson shouted in frustration. "Vampires have Cameron and they will kill her. Now go home before they kill you, too."

House scoffed. "I've had some killer highs before but this goes beyond the average acid trip. I'm going with you."

Faith stepped between House and Wilson. "Look, chief," she told House, "I can tell you're tough and you like to lead, but that's not gonna happen tonight. Truth is, you're a gimp and you'll slow us down. So let's end this homoerotic chitchat you've got going on with your buddy here and go home."

For the first time, House stood there speechless as the group turned away from him and started to jog down the street.

Kate ran to her car and slipped on a pair of jogging shorts and tennis shoes. She quickly ripped off the dress now in rags and put on a t-shirt. Then she caught up to the rest of the group and walked next to Angel. "So if I wasn't the target tonight, why did you have a vision about me?"

Angel shook his head. "I don't know, Kate. Maybe we were supposed to protect you so that you could help later." He looked down at his old friend. He didn't have many of those any more. "You can't die yet."

She smiled at him, not realizing until that moment how much she had missed him. "Let's all try to stay alive tonight."

The group followed the trail for several blocks in silence. Finally, Angel turned his head towards Wilson. "Why didn't you try to kill me when you saw I was a vampire in that restaurant?"

Wilson smiled boyishly. "I'm a doctor. I know how to research. After I knew about vampires, I studied them thoroughly. You're Angel, right? The 'vampire with a soul'?"

Angel nodded, surprised.

"You're one of the most researched cases in history. The only one that compares is William the Bloody."

Angel's face scrunched in disgust. "Spike? That sad excuse for an anti-hero is my comparison?"

Wilson smiled. He didn't realize how the conversation made the situation easier to handle. Hunting alone for years had continually made him tense. "Well, he is pivotal in several of the major events of the last century."

Angel crinkled his forehead with jealousy. "Pivotal? Please. The last hundred years, he's done nothing but let a girl lead him around by the nose. First, Drusilla and then—" He paused, thinking.

"What is it, Angel?" Kate asked.

"Damn it." He stopped, using his sword as a cane as he thought. "I should have remembered."

"Remembered what?" Keen was getting anxious. He was ready to fight again.

Angel faced the group. "That vamp you staked," he told Faith, "the leader, he smelled like blood and night-blooming jasmines."

"Sounds _Silence of the Lambs_," Faith said. "What's your point, Angel?"

"Drusilla. That's Drusilla's smell. And he had it all over him."

……………………………

Cameron looked around the room she was being held in. The fact that they hadn't tied her up made her even more terrified. It meant that either there was no way out or that they were a lot scarier than she could ever be. She was afraid that both were true.

She had never seen anything like these people. The doctor in her kicked into overdrive and she began running scenarios in her head of what disease they might have. But she couldn't figure it out. At least she had ruled out Lupus.

She wished House was there. He was the only man she knew that solved problems. That saved the day.

Cameron had passed out before she had arrived at this building, but as far as she could tell, she was in an apartment. It looked expensive. She was in a locked bedroom. The covers on the bed were thick, lush, and a deep blue. There were light blue vases and wooden statuettes positioned on mahogany tables.

Whoever kidnapped her knew how to live.

She went over to the window and pulled back the curtains. The city sparkled for miles in front of her. They had to be at least fifteen stories up. The moon, almost full, showered the room with light. She followed the light to the bed. Her body ached and she admitted to herself that she was exhausted.

She took off her heels and laid on the bed. She had a scratch on the back of her neck that had been bleeding earlier, so she turned over to relieve the pain. Cameron saw a dark shadow between the bed and the wall. Her brow furrowed, she reached and turned on the light on the bed stand. "Oh, my—" she gasped, shrinking back on the bed so far that she fell off onto the floor.

It was a woman, lying contorted on the floor, blood staining her peach silk nightgown. There were two holes in her neck.

Cameron cowered when she heard glass shatter behind her. A handsome man in a long leather coat smashed into the room fifteen stories high, the window busting into pieces as his feet hit the ground.

Sword in hand, Angel looked down at her. "Are you Allison Cameron?"

TBC


	5. On Your Doorstep

Chapter 5

"Are you Allison Cameron?" Angel repeated to the dumbstruck doctor. He could feel that she wasn't a vampire. "We don't have a lot of time here."

She blinked. "That depends. Are you planning to kill me?"

He wrinkled his forehead. Saving people was becoming harder and harder. When did everyone become so jaded? "No. I'm here to save you if you're so inclined."

She glanced over at where the dead woman was. "I think today's a good day for a knight in shining armor." She shrugged. "Or in very expensive leather, I guess."

She was glib. Sharp. He liked her.

But those deep, brooding thoughts about insecurity would have to wait until later. "My team and your friend Wilson will be here any minute at the front entrance. We'll wait until I hear them, and then we'll come out fighting."

She gulped. "We?"

He handed her a stake. "I can kill most of them, but they will want to protect you from us, so you're going to have to fight them off." He took her hand and held it to his chest. He whispered, "If they are close enough, shove this hard right here into their heart."

She was so close to him that she expected to feel his breath on her face. She didn't. Looking into his eyes, she said, "I can't kill anyone."

He grabbed her by the shoulders. "They aren't people. And if you're too afraid to kill, you'll be killed."

She nodded. Angel heard a noise. "Here they are."

He opened the door.

They weren't in the apartment.

But Drusilla was.

She stood in front of the door. "Hello, Daddy. Have I been a bad girl? Will you spank me?"

Angel took a split second to decide whether he should fight it out now or bide time. He started talking. "Haven't seen you in a while, Dru. What have you been up to?" he talked to her like he had just run to her in the melons section of the grocery store. He had created her, had made her insane. He knew how to control her. Mostly.

Drusilla smiled, her eyes looking up at the ceiling as if hearing or seeing something no one else did. She rubbed her skin. "I had to heal, Angel, from the burns you gave me. The birdies cried when you set me on fire."

"I'm sorry about that, Dru. I was rash. You know how Darla always made me."

She raised her brow in recognition. "Ah, Grandmummy. You always loved her more than me."

Angel smiled. Internally, he hoped his friends were still alive. "But you were always my favorite girl."

She giggled, sliding her hands down her blood red dress seductively. "The walls told me you want to save the girl, Angel. She has been saved."

Cameron hid behind Angel, gripping his jacket sleeve. Screw atheism and intelligence. She was seriously ready to start praying.

"Why do you want this girl, Dru?" Angel stepped closer to her, like a trainer would come to a lion. "You've never cared this much before about humans to raid a restaurant before. Unless it was just for fun."

Drusilla bounced on the balls of her feet like a girl on Christmas morning. "The moon whispers, Angel," she said secretively. "The moon wants her soul."

He gripped the sword at his side. "Why?"

She smiled, "No, no silly boy. The moon only tells me. He doesn't want you to know."

"You realize you're a complete wack-job, right?" Faith was standing in the front doorway. Keen, Kate, and Wilson were standing behind her. "Angel, I know you've done some pretty messed up crap in your day, but this was beyond necessary."

"Kill them!" Drusilla shrieked before Angel kicked her hard in the stomach, knocking her across the room.

There were only about a dozen vamps left, but they were willing to die for their master. Most of them charged at Angel first. Angel gave Cameron a hard shove, pushing her back into the bedroom. With one solid movement, he slammed the door shut and then jumped over the group of vampires, beheading two with his sword before they had time to turn back around. One spun, kicking him in the head. Angel fell to the ground. As hard as he could, Angel kicked the vamp in the kneecap, breaking its leg. He jumped up and dusted it, staking another with the stake attached to his wrist.

Drusilla went after Faith. She had slit a Slayer's throat once with her sharp fingernails and she wanted to do it again. She found Faith's eyes and made her focus, hypnotizing her. "Come here, little girl."

Faith froze, entranced in Drusilla's dark eyes. Dru's hand went up. Wilson elbowed Drusilla in the kidneys. As she keeled over, Faith hit her between the shoulder blades with the butt of her axe. Dru fell to the ground and as soon as no one notices, slid out of the room crying and mumbling.

Keen and Wilson staked the few remaining vamps. Once the fight was over, they stood in the dust and sweat, breathing hard.

Angel opened the bedroom door. Cameron was sitting by the bed, stake gripped in her hand.

"We're going to need some place to hide her until we figure out what's going on," Keen said.

Kate pulled back her hair. "I'd offer my apartment, but every vamp in town knows where that's at."

Wilson put his hands on his hips as he often did. "I know a place."

……………………………………

"What are you doing here?" Cuddy rested her head on the doorjamb and wrapped her robe tighter around her body.

"I'm stalking you now. Haven't you heard?" House twirled his cane as he stood there, pretending to wait for an answer.

She sighed. Cuddy wasn't even going to try to fight him tonight. Turning, she stepped further into her apartment, leaving the door open to let him walk through. "Are you here to sling sexual entendres," she said then turned to face him in all confidence, "or are you finally going to get the backbone to actually have sex with me like we all know you want to?"

"You know, tonight I finally was going to make you want to play "Stairway to Heaven" all night long, but Wilson went on a date with Cameron and—"

Cuddy laughed, cutting him off. "And you can't take it that your two favorite puppies are chewing on a new bone."

House looked at the ceiling in pain. "What does that mean?"

Cuddy put her hands on her hips. "I'm alone on a Friday night. I'm nearly forty years old. I've had a few drinks, okay."

"Wilson said that Cameron has been taken and will probably be killed."

She swayed from the alcoholic and the shock of the abruptness. "What?"

House nodded. "By vampires."

She blinked at him in silence. Then she bust out laughing. "Vampires? Cameron was taken and will be killed by Dracula?"

He sat down on the couch. "Dracula was never mentioned."

Waving her arms in confusion, she asked, "Are you messing with me?"

"This time, I can honestly say that I wish I was." He rested his chin on his cane and frowned. "Wilson was with a group of people with weapons. And the skanky, hot one in leather told me to get lost."

Cuddy knew somehow that he was being honest. But nothing made sense. So she stayed quiet and let him go on.

"I don't know what to do. I can handle rare diseases because there is reasoning in them. There's no reason in this."

Cuddy took a deep breath and sat down next to him. "Not everything has reason, House. I know you expect it to, but that's just not the way it is. That's just the way you want it to be."

He saw Cameron's dead eyes and began shaking. "I just can't sit here and let her die!" he shouted.

She stayed calm. "Why did you come here?"

He stood and started pacing. He wanted to lie, to hide as he always did, but he didn't have time to do that now. "Because I've lost Wilson. Because I can't help Cameron. And because even though I give you hell on a daily basis, you know how to deal with a crisis."

Her draw dropped. She had received a compliment from House. The world must really be crashing down around him. Just as she was about to start rambling a plan, House's cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

Wilson sounded out of breath on the other line. "House, we're going to need a safe-house. We need your help."

TBC


	6. What's the Plan?

Notes: I think I've been a little confusing, so I wanted to clear things up. Drusilla is insane because Angel had made her that way before he turned her into a vampire. This was when he was evil about 200 years ago. She's also psychic. So if she says that the moon talks to her, that's what she thinks is happening because she can see the future.

Also, this IS NOT a House/Cam fic. If that is the only type of fic you like to read, this one probably isn't for you.

If there are any other questions, I apologize that it wasn't clear and be happy to ask me. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 6

"You were the girl in high school that had to take her cousin to prom weren't you?" House muttered as he got on the back of his bike.

Cuddy, now in jeans and a t-shirt, put a helmet on before she got behind him. "Don't insult me, House. You aren't going to tell me vampires are chasing Cameron and then leave me here. I've got to see this one."

"Are you that superstitious?"

"No, I need to know if you're all insane and I have to fire you."

…………………………………………

The group was standing outside House's apartment, bloody and breathing hard.

"You all look like hell. Glad you made me leave." House jumped off his bike and got out his key.

"House, I'm sorry that happened," Wilson said. He never wanted to hurt House like that, knowing his disability was a definite sore spot. "But we need you here."

"So now my dance card is full. I feel so wanted." House went past them and stood between them and his door.

Cameron came from behind the group, slightly scraped and very much scared. "House, please."

He studied her face with a frown. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I just particularly don't want to die tonight."

House opened his door and let them in. Angel stood there on the sidewalk. "You have to invite me in or I can't go over the threshold."

"Do you want me to carry you like a blushing bride, too?" House asked with his near sneer. He still didn't realize that Angel was a vampire.

"Look, kid, I don't have time for this." He pushed his jacket aside and put his hands on his hips as he often did.

House tilted his head, smirking. "'Kid'? I'm old enough to be your father. And calculating how much sex I have, that's _really_ possible." He put his arms out, saying, "Give Daddy a hug."

Calmly, Angel's voice lowered. His eyes focused on House's but there was no threat or anger in them. Just honesty. "I killed my father."

For the second time that night, House was speechless. He was looking at this guy that looked younger than Cameron and had just told him he had killed his father. He held fast to the motto that everybody lies, but his gut said Angel was being completely honest. "You just told me you murdered your father and you want me to invite you in. Who the hell are you?"

Angel was getting frustrated. He hated talking to people. His forehead wrinkled. He started to ramble. "I'm a vampire and I killed a bunch of people. But I don't now. Well, I still kill demons. And there was that one time I let Dru and Darla eat all those lawyers. But I have a soul and I just need to get into your apartment."

House blinked at him. Then he turned around, went into the apartment and shut the door.

Angel's jaw dropped. He stared at the door for a few seconds. "Faith!"

A few moments later, Faith emerged from the apartment, her hand firmly gripped on the back of House's collar. Her gravelly voice was firm. "Angel's a vamp but he's a very good boy. We need him to save your pretty doctor friend. So listen, Dr. McDreamy, just invite him in."

House would never admit that although Faith kind of scared him, she also turned him on. "Okay, even though you are delusional in believing you're a vampire, I invite you in because I'm getting bored."

"Good boy," Faith said, letting go of him.

"I'm not delusional." Angel said, walking past House.

House gaffawed. "Well, of course you don't know you're delusional. Then it wouldn't really be delusions. Duh."

"You are so lucky I'm not evil," Angel muttered.

………………………………………………

Drusilla petted her porcelain doll. She was the only one left of her group. She wished Spike was there. He always took care of her. Until he fell in love with the Slayer.

She danced on the rooftop of the building she had fled to after the fight. The moon still sang to her. It was near full. "You will have your queen soon."

She giggled, her long black hair bouncing in the wind.

"And the world will fall to its knees."

…………………………………………

Faith sat on the piano bench, cleaning her wounds with alcohol and a kitchen towel. Kate sat next to her. Keen sat on the floor, his laptop that he had in Angel's car on the coffee table. Wilson was going from person to person checking injuries while Angel paced as he thought. Cuddy and House sat with Cameron on the couch.

"So what is Drusilla planning?" Faith asked.

Angel had his hand out in front of him. It was his way of helping him think. "She said that Cameron had already been saved and that the moon had told her to take her."

Keen typed furiously on his laptop. "I can't find anything on the pagan sites about moon and a moony doctor."

"Hey," Cameron said, sitting further up on the couch. "I'm not moony."

Cuddy patted her on the shoulder. "You kind of are."

Keen ignored the banter. "But I've been on several forums and there's seriously something bad coming. No one knows what it is though."

House turned to look at Angel. "You people are really helpful. I'm so glad that I invited you into my house."

Angel gripped his sword as he looked around at the group talking about House. "Would anyone really care if I killed this guy? I never thought there would be anyone more annoying than Spike, especially after meeting a lot of people in 240 years, but I was wrong."

Cuddy stood up. "Are you saying your 240 years old? How is that possible?"

"Oh, didn't you hear?" House asked. "Mr. GQ here is a vampire."

Angel rolled his eyes. "We're wasting time. If you need to see, fine." He showed them his vampire face. He went straight to House. They were nose to nose. "Got any questions?"

House stared back at him. "I know of a good moisturizer that would clear that right up."

Angel sighed and changed his face back. "Please, can I kill this guy?"

"Don't do it, boss," Faith said. "He's too cute to die."

House looked over at her, surprised.

"Can we get back on track here?" Keen said. "As far as I can tell, there's no information because the best source is the Howev prophecies and no one knows who has them."

"I have them."

Everyone looked at Wilson. "What?" Angel asked.

"I told you that I do research. A friend of mine gave me the prophecies about three years ago. I haven't been able to translate most of it because there aren't too many people in Jersey that know how to read ancient Dinderjian."

"I can," Keen said.

Wilson excitedly squealed as only he could. "Great, let me go to my hotel and get them."

Kate stood up. "I'll go with you."

Wilson nodded and headed for the door.

"Have you all found House's secret drug stash?" Cuddy's head was spinning.

Wilson stopped and turned to her. "I know this is hard to take at first. It's easier to be in the dark."

…………………………………

Chase was bored out of his mind. Some of the times when he was lonely, he would take a walk and end up in front of House's apartment. He knew that it was stalkerish, but he would sit across the street for a few hours and think. Chase would think about his dad and whether he was happy.

As he walked up to the stoop across the street, he saw Wilson drive up with a group of people carrying weapons. Then he saw House and Cuddy pull up next to him on his motorcycle. As he watched a handsome leather-clad man with pointy hair argue with House, his thoughts oddly drifted back to his fantasies he had in the shower.

One look at Cuddy on the back of that motorcycle had done it. He wished he had been the one she was holding tightly.

Lisa Cuddy was the reason Chase had stopped benefiting with Cameron.

TBC


	7. Research and Regroup

Chapter 7

"Who did you lose?" Wilson asked as he pulled his car into the hotel parking lot.

Kate spun her stake in her hands, watching the path of the rings in the wood as it grazed her fingers. She smiled sadly. "My dad. How did you know?"

He smiled back in the same sad way, that Wilson way. "Those that have lost can see it in others. You saw it in me too, didn't you?"

She got out of the car and nodded. "I just figured it was because I was a cop. That sixth sense, you know?" Heading for the entrance, she asked, "So who was it?"

His lips formed a straight line. She thought he probably still felt guilty. Like she did. He looked at her with those deep brown eyes. "My brother."

Kate tucked her stake in the small messenger bag hanging at her hip. She didn't want anyone in the lobby to see it and report it. "How'd you deal?"

Wilson took long strides over the marble floor. He was anxious to get to his room before someone noticed that his suit was ripped and a little bloody. Besides, the blonde he was with was going to turn heads. "I became a doctor. And I hunt at night. I couldn't save my brother, but I wanted to save as many people as I could. Those that I had power to save."

He didn't ask Kate how she handled it but she instinctively knew that he wanted to know. Likewise, Wilson knew he didn't have to ask. As they got into the elevator, she offered, "I almost let it ruin me. I hated myself and I hated Angel for it—even though I knew it wasn't his fault."

"It's not your fault either." Wilson looked down at her before they got out of the elevator.

Her blue eyes looked up at him but didn't respond. She kept going, saying, "I tried…I, uh, took too many pills. Angel saved me. The next week, I moved here."

Wilson rubbed the back of his neck, but not because it hurt. It was his boyish attempt to gather more information. "So, did you and Angel…"

She chuckled. Wilson loved the noise. He rightfully assumed that it didn't happen often.

"No, we never were together. We've always just been good friends." Kate decided not to tell him that she was once in love with Angel. That didn't fade away until months after she moved to New Jersey. She knew him now as her savior, her second chance, her friend. But nothing else.

They finally stood in front of Wilson's door. He chuckled, too.

"What?" she asked, surprised to hear the sound.

"When I started out tonight, I never thought I'd be taking a beautiful woman up here to retrieve ancient prophecies."

She tried not to gasp. It had been a long while since anyone had said something that charming to her. The intensity of impending doom only added to the tension.

He opened the door and let her go through. Their smiles fell as they looked about the room.

It had been trashed.

He raced to the room safe. Looking up at Kate, he said, "It's open. And the prophecies are gone."

……………………………………

"Are you okay?" Angel was kneeling by the couch with a cup of tea.

Cameron sat up and took it from him, sighing. "I've honestly been better." Then she glanced over at House as he headed for his bedroom and began recalling moments from the last couple years. "But I guess I've been worse, too."

He smiled. She was handling this well. He liked women that could handle themselves in a tough spot. It was a necessity in his world. She wasn't blonde, though…

"Can you explain all of this to me again? I'm still hazy." Cameron looked at him with those big green eyes, stirring him from his own thoughts.

He leaned over closer to her, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands together in Angel's "let's talk sensitively" stance. His hands were so close to Cameron that she could have touched him if she moved. "We don't know a lot yet," he said. "But the vampire that took you is called Drusilla. She's insane and evil. She can also see the future and she apparently sees that you are important in something big coming. My guess is an apocalypse."

Cuddy came in from the kitchen with a cup of coffee. "_An_ apocalypse? I haven't been to synagogue for a while, but I was under the impression that there's only _one_."

"Well, then you'd be wrong, sister," Faith said. "There were two just a few years back in California and Angel, Keen, and I stopped one last week in Cleveland."

"Is she serious?" Cameron asked. She needed another sip of her tea. Her throat felt suddenly dry. Three hours ago, she didn't even believe in apocalypses.

"Afraid so," Keen said. He was still researching on his computer. He looked over at Cameron, asking, "Have you ever met anyone that's asked you to drink the sweat of a virgin priestess?" When Cameron shook her head, he refocused himself on the laptop. "I guess we can scratch off all of the moon-associated feminist cults."

"I think I'm still drunk." Cuddy plopped down on the piano bench, her coffee sloshing in its cup. Lisa Cuddy had always been one to believe in the unbelievable, the impossible, but this was too much too fast.

……………………………………………

House was lying on his bed. More like sulking on his bed. He was used to leading, taking charge. The doctor was not comfortable giving that up to anyone, especially a handsome stranger with hair that a blind person could have styled better.

He also didn't know what to think about Wilson.

When the hell did all of this happen? House didn't pride himself on much, but he was certain he knew everything to know about his friends and coworkers. He knew Cuddy's menstrual cycle; he knew when Wilson was about to cheat again; he knew when Foreman would break off a relationship. So how did he not know that Wilson killed vampires, that he even knew about vampires? What else had House been wrong about?

He couldn't stand being in bed anymore. Restless and bored, he stood up and began pacing about the room. Slipping Vicodin out of his pocket, he shook the bottle, popped the lid, and swallowed two dry. Annoyingly, his gut twitched—but not literally. He wasn't hungry. He was being intuitive again. Something told him to go to the window. Damn, what happened to reason and facts?

Too curious not to check it out, he grabbed his cane that was hanging from the foot of the bed and headed down the hall. He walked straight past the group invading his apartment and pushed back the curtain.

"What is it, House?" Cuddy asked.

"Chase."

Faith bounded towards the door. "Someone's getting chased?"

"No, you hyper-active hormone fest." He tilted his head inquisitively at her. "You're a sex kitten aren't you?"

She had a hint of a smile. "You have no idea. And I'm betting you know how to use that cane."

"There's a reason why I get more privileges than just a parking space."

Faith stepped closer to him, her curly brown hair swaying past her shoulders. "If we get out of this alive, I'll give you a real damn reason to limp. But until then, you better start playing ball because I'm getting tired of making you respond."

House looked past her head and over at Cuddy. "Well, who would have thought there's someone out there that's an even bigger ball-buster than you?" He leaned on his cane and whispered, "Don't worry though. No one will ever beat you out on bustiness."

"House, just tell the woman what you saw." Cuddy wasn't about to admit that this was the most excitement she had had for five years.

He sighed. "Chase is sitting like a puppy dog across the street. I've been telling you for months that the little wombat is in love with me. I wonder why no one believes me."

Angel finally stepped away from Cameron. "Get rid of him. No one else needs to get involved here. It's too dangerous."

"I don't want to do it," House whined. "Were you not listening when I said he's obsessing over me? Does deafness come with those fangs?"

"You are going to need a wheelchair instead of that damn cane."

Cuddy bounced up from her seat. "I'll do it before you start comparing…comparables."

She went outside and jogged across the street. "Dr. Chase? What are you doing here? Is everything all right?"

Chase stood up, blushing. Without being able to control his words, he said, "When I see you, everything is beautiful."

Her jaw dropped and she backed away from him. "What?"

He came closer to her and grabbed her hands in his. "I mean that the touch of any other woman pales in comparison to simply a smile from your lips."

"Oh, hell." With his hand still attached to hers, she guided him across the street. She led him into House's apartment. They looked at her, alarmed that she had done exactly the opposite of what she was supposed to. "We have a problem," she told them.

Angel's cell phone rang in his jacket pocket. Flipping it open, he saw that it was Kate and said, "Did you get it?" He listened on the other line for a few minutes then said, "Get back here as soon as possible."

He shut the phone and looked at the group. "We've got a lot of problems."

TBC


	8. Spells and Old Friends

Chapter 8

"What's going on, Angel?" Faith asked.

"Someone stole the prophecies." He was already trying to come up with another plan.

"What does that mean?" Cameron stood up for the first time.

Keen shut his laptop off. It was time to gather the forces and talk options. "It means that we can't know for sure what the upcoming events have to do with you."

"And if someone besides Dru stole them, then there's another player out there we don't know about." Angel put his hand to his mouth and rubbed his bottom lip with his thumb and finger.

"We can beat up the local snitches. See if someone knows anything," Faith offered.

"You do love your violence," House said.

She looked back at him over her shoulder. "It's kind of my job."

Chase knelt down in front of Cuddy and took her hands. "And it's my job to love you."

Cuddy's face flushed and House scoffed. "What happened to Blondie? Did all of that conditioner finally soak up your last brain cell?"

Chase bounded up and stood in front of House, his shoulders squared. "Is it such a big leap to think someone could love a goddess like her?"

House leaned away from him and looked at the others. "Again I say: what the hell?"

Cuddy looked down at the floor. "I think this is my fault."

Cameron stepped forward. She didn't notice that it had made Angel flinch. She asked, "How is this your fault?"

Her black curls bounced as she shook her head. "I was lonely. I didn't think it would actually work."

Angel looked from the blushing Cuddy to the near floating Chase. "Please tell me you didn't," he said to her.

"Didn't what?" Cameron asked. She was hoping she would wake up soon.

Keen sat down on the arm of the couch. "She cast a love spell."

House's eyebrows raised. "You cast a spell on Chase?"

She waved her hands in front of her. She wished a hole would open and swallow her. "I didn't mean for it to be Chase. It was supposed to find…my true love."

They all stood in silence. Except for Chase. "And I will love you truly until I have no breath."

House looked over at Angel. "You'd still rather hurt me than this walking _Lifetime_ movie of the week?"

Angel's forehead wrinkled. "Yes." Then he glanced over at Cuddy and Chase. "We don't have time to fix this now. The way he is, he's going to get hurt. Maybe you should take him home."

Cuddy's eyes widened and she rushed to Angel so that only he could hear. "Please don't leave me with him."

Angel shrugged. "I'm sorry. I don't know what else to do. He'll get hysterical now if we separate you."

She sighed. "Is there anything I can do to help from my home?"

He smiled. "Just get him out of here. And be careful."

"Go home to mama. Oh, the games you will play," House said as Cuddy grabbed Chase's arm. He blindly followed her to the door.

Cuddy's eyes slid over to House and she gritted her teeth. "House, I swear I'll finally fire you if you say another word."

They watched them leave and then turned back to each other. "Okay, people, we need another plan fast," Angel said.

"When Kate gets back, maybe we can use her contacts to see what they know." Keen said, moving towards the window to see when Kate and Wilson got back.

"Maybe I could track Drusilla down and see if she'll tell me anything," Angel said.

Faith shook her head. "She's crazy, Angel. But she's not stupid. And no amount of beating you give her won't make her confess."

Angel's brow furrowed. "You're right. She'd probably enjoy it."

House twirled his cane. "This chick sounds freaky. Can I meet her?"

Wilson and Kate came into the apartment. "Trust me, House. You don't want to meet this one. She's not like the other ladies of the night you like to be with."

Kate stepped up. "Angel, what do you need?"

"You have contacts?"

"I know of someone. He's a seer. He was the one that told me something was going to happen tonight."

Faith picked up her axe. "Let's go."

…………………………………

Cuddy sat on her couch with her elbows on her knees and her chin on her fists. She watched Chase pace about the room as he swore oaths and recited poetry in her name. She had never thought that the spell would actually work. It was more of a sign of hope or a cosmic plea for help. As she looked at Chase, she was trying to decide if she was disappointed that his affection was only because of a spell. He was young, but he was intelligent and probably virile. No one would mind if she just never changed him back…No, she chastised herself. She wanted something real. With someone mature.

"My love is like a red, red rose," Chase started. He paused, not being able to remember the rest of the sonnet. His blond hair flopped as his head swiveled to look at Cuddy. "Can I sculpt you?"

Cuddy blinked at him. "Okay, let's just get some wine to drink first." He grinned and she went into the kitchen. "Stay here," she told him.

"My soul will die the minutes you are gone and I will be reborn when you return," he said, his hands to his chest.

She hurried into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of pills in the cabinet. She crushed three sleeping pills into a glass of wine and then made a glass for herself. When she came back out, she handed him the glass.

About to back away from him, he pulled her closer. He took a large gulp of the wine, almost drinking half of it. "Thank you for this glass, but I find you much more intoxicating," he said. He bent down and kissed her.

She thought about pulling away, but she was already there and she found the affection soothing. Her hand raised to his head, her fingers rubbing his surprisingly soft strands. As she contemplated letting her tongue slip past her lips, she felt him sway. She turned her head to look at him. Chase looked at her once before closing his eyes and slumping to the floor.

She grabbed his glass before it broke and set both glasses on the coffee table. Then, with all her strength, she pulled him into her bedroom. She took a belt from her closet and tied his hands to the bedpost. On the floor next to him, she left a note that said: _You passed out from your immense love of me. I will be back as soon as possible to celebrate our life. Lisa._

She went into the hall, took her keys from the table and rushed out of her apartment. As the door shut behind her, she stood there, her hand on the knob, wondering what she should do next. Figuring that the group at House's would already be gone looking for answers, she tried to decide what would be the best way to help. She wasn't fond of Cameron, but she didn't want her to die either. Then the thought rushed to her head. "Cameras," she whispered.

The hotel camera would show who broke into Wilson's room.

…………………………………

The group got out of Angel's convertible. They stood outside of a nice restaurant.

House looked at the building top to bottom. "Wow," he said. "Why didn't you take Cameron here?" He leaned over to Cameron who was next to him. "You should be pissed."

Cameron rolled her eyes. Wilson said, "I didn't take her here because I didn't think she'd appreciate watching a green demon during dinner."

"Thanks for that," Cameron said.

Angel shifted his weight. "A green demon? A green seeing that owns a restaurant?"

"What is it, Angel?" Cameron asked. She was hoping it wasn't going to be more fighting. She was already exhausted.

"It's Lorne." He jogged towards the door leaving the others to follow him. Pulling the door open, the slow jazz music swirled around him. It was dark and sensual in the large room, but his vampire eyes needed no time to adjust. He heard a soft voice singing from the stage in front. He walked further into the room, ignoring the hostess.

Lorne stopped mid-note and nearly dropped his microphone. "Angel?"

TBC


	9. Surprises

Chapter 9

As Cuddy walked into the hotel lobby, she had no idea what she would say. But she ran her own hospital, right? She must be able to think of something. She walked up to the clerk, glad he was a man and even more glad that she was wearing one of her patented cleavage-bearing shirts. "Hi," she said with a warm smile.

"Good evening, ma'am," he replied. He had yet to look up from his computer. "What can I do for you?"

She chuckled softly, hoping to make him look up. She looked at his nametag before saying, "I hope you can do a lot, Billy."

It worked. He glanced up and did a double take. He was a man that liked good curves and she certainly had them. "Anything."

She sighed with relief. She still had it. "You see, I think my husband may be cheating on me and I'm pretty sure he was at this hotel tonight."

His face dropped some to hear that she married. "That's mighty awful, ma'am."

She ran a weary hand through her hair. "Please, call me Lisa."

He smiled again. "Lisa. I'm not sure what you need me to do."

She leaned over the counter just enough to show him more of her chest. It was degrading, but she knew it worked. "I need to know for sure if he was here. I just need to see the hallway recordings from the fourth floor."

He winced. "I'm not really supposed to do that, Lisa."

Leaning just a little farther, she had one tear roll down her cheek. She had always wanted to be an actress but her parents had insisted she go into medicine. "Please. This way, once and for all, I can leave him." She paused and looked straight into his eyes. "I'd be single again." Acting flustered, she continued, "I know my husband will be upset. He's a big-time doctor and we never had a pre-nup."

She saw his eyes widen. "Okay," he said. "In ten minutes, slip behind the desk and go into that back room. The tape will be ready for you. You'll just have to hit play."

Grabbing his hand and squeezing it softly, she said quietly, "Thank you, Billy."

………………………………

The rest of the group followed Angel into the restaurant and watched as he stood facing the loudly dressed green demon. "Lorne," Angel repeated. He made quick strides toward the stage. Lorne excused himself to the audience, got off the stage and headed towards Angel.

They stood a foot apart, just staring at each other. Angel smiled and hugged him. Lorne reminded him of better times. Of some of the only good times he ever had in his very long life. Of family.

Lorne squeezed him back for only a second, then said, "Let's mosey to my back office, kiddies. I'm assuming these battered bunnies are with you Angel."

Angel looked over his shoulder at Faith, Keen, Kate, Wilson, Cameron, and House. He patted Lorne on the back. "Yeah, that's why we're here."

He led them to his office, which looked more like a suite. The walls were plush with red fabric and the three couches in the large room were a dark brown leather. There were several vases of lilies scattered about the room.

Lorne's smile faded and it was twisted with apprehension. "Angel, I told you not to look for me."

Angel's jaw dropped. He shifted on his feet like he always did when nervous. "No, Lorne. I wasn't looking for you. I mean, I'm looking for an answer but I didn't know it was you. Kate just said it was a contact."

House looked over at Faith. "Does he always ramble like this?"

Kate was the one to answer with a smile. "Always has."

Faith echoed with a smile of her own. "Always will."

Lorne began pacing. Secretly, he was happy to see Angel again. They had become close during the four years he had known him. But Angel had asked him to kill. He had known it was necessary. Lindsey was not to be trusted and needed to be eliminated. But a part of him would never forgive himself for doing it and would never forgive Angel for asking him to.

"Look, Lorne. I had a vision that led me out here. I thought Kate was in trouble. But it's Cameron," he said, pointing to her. "Drusilla wants her for something and the prophecy that says what's going on is missing. So please let her sing to you."

"Sing?" Cameron stepped forward. "I have to sing?"

Lorne gave her one look. He knew immediately that Angel would go above and beyond with this one. "Come here, sweetie," he told her, waving her to him.

Cameron looked over at Angel who nodded at her. She took a deep breath and sat down in the chair Lorne gave to her.

"I feel like I'm the only sober one here," House said. "And that really sucks."

Wilson sat down on a couch and looked up at his friend. "Lorne's a seer. They call him the Host."

"Because of his lavish dinner parties?" House said with big eyes.

Wilson stared at him. House's ability to never be without a snide comment, even in the scariest of situations was a wonder to him.

Kate finished explaining. "He can read auras. He can guide you in the right direction."

"But he has to hear you sing." Faith said with a chuckle. She was glad her future never needed a reading. She would rather get her own stake in her heart then sing in front of anyone.

Angel knelt in front of Cameron. His eyes were deep and caring. "Just pick anything to sing and he can help."

She began singing "Pretty Woman." Once she got to the chorus, Lorne stopped her. "That's enough, cherry pie."

Angel pulled him aside. "What is it, Lorne?"

"Well, my head didn't almost explode this time, so we're doing better than before," Lorne said, recalling his last reading of Cordelia before she died.

Angel just stared at him until he kept talking. "I don't know a lot, Angel. I do know that Drusilla wants her dead but in the fangy sense."

"She wants to turn her into a vampire?" Angel said. He had figured she was a sacrifice for something bigger. He was finally starting to realize that Cameron might actually _be_ the something bigger.

Lorne put his hands out. "I'm sorry, Angel. Something's coming, but I'm out of my league here."

"This is how you people solve problems? If you were doctors, all your patients would be dead by now." House looked at them smugly.

Lorne glanced at him for the first time. "He knows more than he's telling."

The hairs on Angel's neck stood up. He fists clamped tight. "What?" he asked Lorne, never taking his eyes of House.

Lorne shook his head. "He's nervous. I can feel it. But he'd have to sing."

"Forget it, Kermit." House gripped his cane.

Cameron saw that Angel was about to go at him and she stayed him with a hand. "House if you know something that could help me—that could help them, you have to do it."

House rolled his eyes. He began singing a Rolling Stones song.

Lorne's eyes went wide. "He's a seer, Angel."

Wilson nearly fell over. "What!"

Lorne kept talking. "He doesn't have visions like you, strudel. He sees. Like Drusilla."

Angry heat rushed up Cameron's back. "You saw something and didn't say anything? How could you do that to me?"

House sat down on the couch. "I don't see things. I had a dream that you died in front of me, but that was it."

Lorne walked over to him, his hand in his finely tailored pocket. "Sorry, pancake. You see all right. And it scares you."

Cameron's brow furrowed. "House, is that how you solve so many cases? Do you see it?"

He shifted his weight. He didn't want to believe it to be true. He believed in reason and making his own destiny. But he couldn't help recalling his dream about that soldier and his dream of Cameron. "That's ridiculous. Besides, even if it was true, all I saw was fire and a full moon."

"And Cameron dying," Faith said.

"A full moon?" Angel repeated. He really had the urge to punch this guy. He assumed he wasn't the first. "Dru keeps mentioning the full moon. And you didn't think it was important!"

"There's no need to be snippy," House said, wrinkling his nose.

Angel growled. "I'm going to do a hell of a lot more than snip."

"Whoa, Tex," Lorne said, putting his hand on Angel's shoulder. "You've got more important things to do."

"Like what?"

Lorne looked at Angel with his kind yet worried red eyes. "Like look up old friends. It's your last chance for some sort of an answer."

Angel looked confused. "I have old friends?"

…………………………………………

Cuddy sat in the security room, anxious for an answer. She had always hated to feel unproductive or useless. She needed to help.

Taking a deep breath, she pressed play on the VCR. She had no idea what she was about to see and she couldn't even imagine.

She watched as Wilson left that morning, briefcase in one hand, the other hand smoothing down his hair. She laughed softly at his vanity. She fast forwarded for what felt like hours of inactivity at his door.

And then she saw it.

"Oh my—"

She wasn't sure if she would laugh, cry, or faint.

In puzzled terror, she watched Foreman slip a key into the door, go inside, and come out with a folder in his hand.

TBC


	10. Old Stories and New Problems

Chapter 10

The group was back in House's apartment. Keen was on his computer researching while Kate and Wilson was in the kitchen making tea. Cameron followed Angel around the room as he paced, talking to someone on his cell phone.

Faith sat down next to House on the couch. He was staring intently at the television screen. "What are you watching?" she asked.

He didn't even look over at her as he took a bite of leftovers Wilson had baked for him last week. "_Not Another Teen Movie_," he said. "It calms me down to watch raunchy teen movies."

Faith took the fork he offered her and stabbed a noodle. "Me too."

They sat in silence as they watched Jake sing "Janie's got a gun."

Angel clamped his cell shut and finally stopped pacing, causing Cameron to walk into him. He caught her, his hands on her upper arms. She tried to ignore her sudden need for breath when she felt his thumbs rub her skin. Her hair swayed over her shoulder as she looked up at him.

But he wasn't looking into her eyes.

Angel was staring at her lips.

She blinked and asked quietly, "What happened?"

"I caught you," he said equally as quiet.

She shook her head. "I don't mean—"

He stuttered, shaken. "Oh, on the phone. He's thankfully in New York right now. He can be here in a few hours."

"And he'll be able to help me?"

Neither realized that he was still holding her arms. He pulled her slightly closer. "I don't know," he said with all of that earnestness he had. "But I promise you that we'll make this okay."

And with all the honesty illuminated in those green eyes, she said, "I believe you."

Wilson was leaning against House's kitchen counter, his long legs stretched in front of him. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and he was holding the edge of the counter with his hands. He watched as Kate moved about the kitchen as if it were her own.

Had they not been amidst an apocalypse, anyone would have taken them for a happy couple enjoying a weekend at home.

She laughed softly as she took tea from the cabinet.

"What is it?" he asked.

On her tiptoes and with an arched back she looked over at him. "I guess your date tonight was sufficiently ruined."

His eyebrows went up and he looked down at the tile. "It had been ruined long before the vampires showed up."

"Bad first date?" Kate asked. She had always been observant. A decade as a police officer had only honed that skill.

He smiled. "Well, yes, it was. But the date stopped as soon as I saw you," he said like an embarrassed schoolboy.

She blushed back. "I guess I won't be able to take that dress back to the store," she joked thinking how her new little black dress was dust rags now.

"I'd happily buy you another one just like."

His frankness startled her. She didn't know that it startled him, too.

He leaned towards her, saying, "You'll just have to promise to wear it to a dinner with me instead of hunting vampires in it."

Running her hand through her thick, blonde hair, she said, "We get through this alive and I'll be ecstatic to go to McDonalds in a trash bag with you."

He laughed boyishly.

"Oh," she winced. "That sounded really desperate, didn't it?" _Damn_. She was always sounding slutty when she first met men. She recalled the first time she met Angel. The dark and handsome of the society always fried her speech abilities.

"No," he said reassuringly. "I haven't heard anything that appealing for a long time."

……………………………………

The blackened fog in front of Chase's eyes started to clear. At first he couldn't remember where he was, but he awoke with Cuddy on his mind. He could smell her scent thickly swirling around him. He could almost feel her there next to him, lying next to his body.

His body. It was stiff, and not in the way he wanted it to be. His arms tingled with the loss of circulation. His right knee hurt from lying in the same place too long.

He closed his eyes again and breathed deeply, taking all of his goddess in. Then he realized why he could smell her. He was in her bedroom. He was tied up in her bedroom.

Having been tied up before by his previous banker girlfriend, his heart beat a little faster at the thought that Cuddy was just as wild. But then he realized that most women don't tie their lovers to the floor.

He looked around him, finding the note Cuddy left for him. The darkness of knowing she wasn't there with him was enough to swallow his soul. He had to find her. To protect her from whatever it was that was wanting Cameron because, he reasoned, if it wanted Cameron then it would finally realize that Cuddy was the much better choice because of her beauty, strength, and intelligence and would eventually decide to take his Lisa instead.

Slowly standing up, he examined the belt tied to his hands and the bedpost. Then he put his foot on the post and yanked as hard as he could, breaking the wood into two pieces. He then wriggled his wrists until the belt came loose.

He put Cuddy's love note in his pocket and nearly skipped out of the apartment.

…………………………………

House limped into the kitchen and set the empty food container in the sink. Wilson was sitting at the table by himself. Kate had gone into the other room to check in with Angel.

"What are you doing?" House sat down next to him.

Wilson's hands were folded together on the tabletop. "Praying."

"You mean you're wasting your time."

Wilson shot him a tired look. "You know what God is going to tell you when you stand at the gates pleading for your soul?"

House tilted his head up, his eyes to the ceiling as if he was thinking. "There's a harem of hot blondes just waiting to please you in _thousands_ of ways?"

Wilson shook his head. "No. He's going to say, 'You're wasting my time.'"

House looked down at the table. "You must be tired. That wasn't even very good sarcasm."

"Well, it's been a long day. I don't have the capacity for assiness as you do, oh wise one," Wilson said with a sigh. In reality, though, he was comforted by the conversation.

"Why didn't you tell me about all of this? How did I not know?"

Wilson shrugged. "This is the one thing I didn't want you to know about."

House squinted. "You don't trust me."

"I didn't want to endanger you. I trust you more than anyone, House," he said. Then he blinked thoughtfully. "But I guess that's not really saying much about the people I know."

"So how did this all start?"

"Remember when I told you about my brother being homeless?" When House nodded, Wilson kept talking. "I lied. When I was nineteen years old, he was turned into a vampire. My mother didn't realize it and invited him into our house." House saw Wilson's eyes water as he tried to continue. "Thankfully I was home that weekend from college." He laughed, but not with humor. "I didn't want to do my own laundry."

"What happened?" House asked. The stillness in the small kitchen was hot, suffocating.

"Jack attacked her. He tried to kill our mother." Wilson's eyes were far away, glazed. "I saw him bite her and ran towards them. I pushed him as hard as I could." Putting his head down, he swiped his hand through his hair. "He fell backward onto the floor. The window was open and it had just become morning."

House waited for him to finish. He still didn't understand.

Wilson looked him straight in the eye. A tear rolled down his cheek and fell onto the table. House stared at that salty pain as Wilson said, "He went into flames. And then he just turned into dust. I killed my own brother."

And then House understood. The puzzle that was James Wilson was complete.

House did something he never expected himself to do. Putting his hand on Wilson's shoulder, he said softly, "You're stronger than I am."

………………………………………

Cuddy burst into House's apartment, the door swinging quickly enough to hit the wall. "We've got a problem," she said, repeating herself from earlier that night.

"Tell us something we _don't_ have," Angel said.

House and Wilson came into the living room from the kitchen. "How did you get in here?" House asked.

Cuddy waved him off. "I made Wilson make me a spare copy." House looked at them both with a gaped mouth. She shrugged. "Just in case."

"In case what?" House asked. "In case you decide you want my sperm and need to steal my sheets?"

Angel shook his head. "You people actually put up with this guy? How has no one killed you yet?"

Faith stood up from the couch and faced Cuddy. "What's the problem? Is it Chase?"

Cuddy tried to catch her breath. "No, he's passed in my bedroom."

House looked at Wilson with a cocky face. "I _told_ you she was so good in the sack that a man would collapse afterward."

"Can you stop being a five year old for two seconds?" Cameron said with a glare. "What's going on?" she asked Cuddy.

Cuddy stepped further into the room. "I went back to your hotel," she told Wilson. "I had to flirt with the night clerk, but he let me see the security tapes."

"What did you find out?" Kate asked. She cursed herself for not thinking of it in the first place.

"Foreman took the prophecies."

The PPTH gang nearly fell over.

"Why?" Cameron asked, looking up at Angel next to her.

Before Angel could answer, House said with his nose turned up, "Because he's evil. Duh."

"Is he evil?" Kate asked to the group.

Cuddy shrugged. "Well, he passed the psychological assessment when he was hired, but so did House, so I'm not sure."

Cuddy had been too excited to relock the door. It swung open again. Faith lifted the axe in her hand, ready to behead the first thing that walked through.

It was Chase.

Faith didn't put her axe.

Chase ran to Cuddy and took her hand. "I'm here to protect you, my love."

House made a disappointed _cluck_ with his tongue. "Guess you're not as good as you think you are," he told Cuddy.

"Seriously," Angel said with incredulity. "How are you still alive?"

Cam looked at him. "If it helps any, someone shot him last year."

Angel smiled down at her. "It does actually. Thanks."

House's eyes widened. "Hey! I'm standing right here."

"Can we focus, here?" Cuddy the Administrator asked. "What are we going to do about Foreman?"

Angel took the lead. "My friend should be here soon. We need to talk to him before we do anything else.

As if the The Powers that Be were granting magical wishes that day, there was a polite knock on the door.

Angel went over to the door.

"Do I not even get to answer my own door anymore?" House whined.

Wilson whispered, "If it's a pissed off demon, it might be better to let the badass vampire answer it."

Angel opened the door and smiled with relief. "I have never been so glad to see you."

"Considering the past we share, I suppose this is rather difficult apocalypse if you are content to see me," he answered.

"I hope everything is water under the bridge," Angel said.

The man smiled geekishly. "Better water under the bridge than raining fire I always say."

Cuddy looked the man up and down. He was charming, handsome, and sweet. Something she wasn't used to. "Welcome to our very own hell on earth," she told him with a disarming smile.

"I assure you madam, I've seen hell on earth…well hell right under the earth actually and it's much worse than this." He sat down his leather bag and shook her hand.

Angel said to the group, "Guys, it's a shame it's not under better circumstances, but I'd like you to meet Rupert Giles.

TBC


	11. Prophecy

Chapter 11

Everyone was circled around Giles. Cuddy smiled and asked, "So what do we need to do, Mr. Giles?"

The Englishman looked from the pretty woman to the young, blonde chap that was smelling her hair. "Please call me Rupert. No one else does."

When she laughed softly, Chase's head bounced up from behind her. "Stay back, old man."

Giles was taken aback. "Quite sorry. Didn't realize you treat a woman like your property."

Cuddy blushed. House snickered. Angel leaned over and whispered to Giles, "It's a love spell."

When Cuddy saw that he was looking at her accusingly, she said, "It was an accident. I never thought it would work…Or be Chase."

Wounded, Chase's bottom lip stuck out. "What? Would you rather be with someone like him?" Chase asked, waving his hand at Giles. "I've got an accent, too, and a better one."

Giles mumbled, "Bloody Australians. They never did figure out we left them on that big, dusty rock for a reason."

"Hell, what happened to good old pissing contests where men wrassled and measured their penises?" House asked, rolling his eyes. "Are you two seriously comparing accents?"

"What are you doing!" Cameron asked incredulously. "We need to get back to me."

"Well, look who gets cranky when her life's in danger," House said petulantly. She shot him a look.

"She's right, I'm afraid," Giles said. "The mystics have all been pointing to something very bad for the last several days."

"What can we do, Giles?" Angel asked. There was intensity in his voice and eyes. Giles knew that look. He saw it every time he had a mission. Every time Buffy had been in danger.

"The original prophecies have been stolen, but I have a book," Giles said. He pulled it from his leather bag.

Angel's eyes fixed on the book. "That's Wesley's."

Giles nodded. "He mailed it to me just before he died."

Faith's forehead wrinkled. "Why didn't he give it to Angel?" She was never close to Wesley. Hell, she had tortured him just for the fun of it once during her dark period. But she knew that Angel and Wes were very close. She didn't understand why he would do that.

Just as Giles was about to answer, Angel said quietly, "Because he thought we were all going to die." He was referring to the night that Wesley died two years ago. The night that they had taken on Wolfram and Hart and he and Spike were the only two to survive.

Giles was always straight with Angel. He knew that anyone 250 plus years would have seen it all anyway. "I suppose he did," Giles said. "He even told me to make sure and take care of Buffy. Guess he knew how she'd take it if you…" He let his words run off. Buffy and Angel's relationship was already complicated. There was no reason in bringing the fact up.

"Okay, this trip down Agonizing Lane is terribly boring. What's the fuss with this wittle book?" House said, watching his cane twirl in his fingers.

Giles took two long steps towards him. A bystander would assume them brothers. Both were tall with long, scruffy faces and messy hair. Their eyes were a similar shade of bright blue. And they both had that look of intelligence, rebellion, and romantic.

"This book is going to save your friend's live. It magically contains within it every prophecy, every poem, every word written in history. You silly, 'wittle' ponce," Giles said in a hiss. Giles wore tweed often and almost emanated NERD. But every once in a while, when provoked—usually more like when Buffy was provoked—_Ripper _emerged. Ripper—the side of him he had tried to forget most of his life. But he had been a dangerous young man in his day and that part of him would never completely disappear.

"You could have just said it was a magical book. Show off," House said, his nose wrinkled with snotty dignity.

Angel stepped in. "How long will it take for you to know something?" he asked Giles.

Giles readjusted his wire-rim glasses. "Possibly half an hour."

Angel nodded. "Okay." He looked at the group. "Keen, Faith, you stay here with Cameron. I'm going to take Wilson and Kate to find Foreman."

Faith stood up. "You don't want me with you?" He shook his head. "If Dru comes knocking, I want a Slayer by Cameron's side."

"You got it," Faith said. She had complete faith in Angel. He had saved her. And a part of her knew that he would always be saving her. Every day.

Angel looked over at Cuddy, Chase, and especially House. "Stay here and stay quiet."

"I'm coming with you."

Angel stopped and turned. He looked at Cameron hard. He was trying to save her. He didn't have time to deal with her. "It's safer for you here."

"I'm safer with you," she said, echoing what she had told Wilson earlier that night. But she felt more honest when she said it now. "If Foreman wants me dead, I want to know the hell why."

"Look, this will be a lot easier if you stay here with Faith." If he could have breathed, he would have sighed.

Her stubborn chin hitched up as her green eyes burned into his. "Easier for who?"

Angel pointed to her and said, "Okay, but if you die, it's not my fault."

"If I die, I'm not going to take the time to lecture you about it," she said as she walked up beside him.

"Cameron not lecturing?" House said. "Now that's a first. World really must be ending."

……………………………………

Angel, Cameron, Wilson, and Kate had all been gone for about fifteen minutes. Giles had his nose in the book, his glasses sliding down his nose.

Keen leaned over next to him. "I just wanted to tell you," he said quietly, "that you have no idea how cool it is to meet you."

Giles looked up at him and smiled. "I can't imagine why, but thank you."

Keen shook his head. "You're a rock star, man. A legend. You've saved the world more times than Merlin has been reported to."

"Can you hump his leg after he finds what we're looking for?" Faith asked. She liked working with Keen but she didn't like distractions. She had allowed herself to get distracted once. It was the reason she had went to prison.

"Ah, I found something!" Giles lifted his glasses to stare at the book again as if to make sure he had read the passage correctly.

"What is it?" House asked.

"Oh dear," Giles whispered, reading the words carefully.

Faith sat down on the back of the couch. "Giles, did I ever tell you how much I hate it when you do that?"

……………………………………

"So what are we expecting to find here?" Kate asked, checking her gun. "What's Foreman like?"

"He's not above stealing obviously," Cameron said. "He stole my medical article a couple years back, too."

Wilson looked down at her. "For some reason, I'm thinking that this is probably different."

"This is mostly a recon mission, people," Angel said. "We need to know how many enemies we have here."

Wilson knocked on Foreman's door. "I guess we'll find out where Foreman falls into those categories soon enough."

Angel started to say, "Now remember not to be too forceful because we want him to invite me in—"

Just then Foreman answered the door with a smile. "Hi, what are you all doing here?"

Cameron's eyes flashed. She could feel angry heat burning her skin. "Why the hell do you want me dead?"

Without blinking he said, "Your forceful personality comes to mind."

Wilson stepped in. "We know you stole the prophecies from my hotel room. We just want to know why."

"Okay," he said, his hands in his pockets. He was still wearing his pants and white shirt and tie from work that day. He glanced Angel up and down. "You're a vampire, right?"

Angel smelled him. He wasn't demon. Foreman was human. "How do you know that?" he asked in almost a growl.

Foreman's eyebrow shot up. "Have you looked at your hair and outfit in the last few decades? Like anyone with a pulse would wear that."

"Are you going to let us in?" Angel didn't take his eyes off of him, but he knew that he was going to ask Faith about his hair as soon as he got back.

Foreman didn't hesitate. "Yes."

As they all sat down in Foreman's apartment, Angel asked, "What's your angle?"

"If you're asking if I'm evil, you can sleep a little easier in that coffin of yours." Foreman picked up the coffee mug he had been drinking from before they had arrived and took a drink.

"I don't sleep in a coffin," Angel whined. He looked over at Kate. "What is it with people and that damn Dracula crap? Only that pretty boy is ridiculous enough to do that."

Cameron needed him to go on. "If you're not evil, then what are you doing?"

Foreman looked at her with frustration. "I found out you were in danger. I had also heard that Wilson had the only prophecies that can help you."

"So why would you take them?" Wilson asked, his eyes squinted.

"Did you honestly think they were safe with you?" Foreman set down his mug. "I heard someone was about to steal them, so I got there first." He took the folder from the mantle and handed it to Wilson. "Here, you can have them."

"So how do you know about all this stuff?" Cameron's head was spinning.

Foreman scoffed. "Gang bangers aren't the only thing to be scared of on the street. You learn pretty fast that there's something a hell of a lot worse. I learned enough to protect myself and I have a mystical friend that lets me know when something's about to happen. That's how I knew that Wilson had the prophecies."

"They're all here," Wilson said, flipping through the pages.

"Of course they are," Foreman replied. "I'm not trying to kill Cameron."

Angel heard honesty in his voice. "You better not be lying."

"I'm not," Foreman said in his indignant, proud fashion.

"Then you're coming with us," Angel said.

………………………………………

Giles was pacing as Angel and the group came in. Angel saw the worry in his face. "What did you find out, Giles?"

Giles took out his handkerchief and wiped his glasses. "I know no one ever likes when I start from the beginning with the history and everything, but it's important."

"What is it?" Angel sat down on House's piano bench, his hands hanging between his knees.

"When humans began walking the earth, there was no balance between good and evil," Giles said.

"Right, there were too many demons. Humans were getting decimated," Wilson added.

"You really did your research," Angel said.

"He's always been an overachiever. That's why I hired him," Cuddy said, her lips curling as she glanced at Wilson.

"Are you trying to make me jealous?" Chase asked petulantly. He was playing with the bottom hem of her shirt.

Giles blinked at the rather odd group of doctors and continued. "So tribe leaders created The Slayer. The one girl in all the world to fight the forces of darkness."

Faith raised her hand in a wave. "Look to me for an example."

"How did they _create_ the Slayer?" House asked. He always liked history. And this certainly wasn't in the books.

Faith tilted her head. "A magic spell, a girl, add a cup of demon and mix well until fluffy."

Cameron's jaw dropped. "Are you saying that you have demon in you?"

She looked at her with a cocky smile. She never played well with the other girls. "Just enough to get the job done."

Kate shook her head. She was used to a rowdy room of cops, but these people had the attention spans of Colin Farrell at a club during Ladies' Night. "What does all of this have to do with Cameron?"

"Yes, well," Giles said, swallowing. "With the creation of the Slayer, a balance was established. Both demon and human could coexist."

"And the balance has shifted," Angel said quietly. It wasn't a question. He understood now.

"Exactly," Giles answered excitedly.

"When did the balance shift? I still feel pretty balanced," House said. "Of course, maybe that's because I have a cane to keep me standing."

Giles stared at him. "Three years ago, Buffy was fighting the First Evil. The only way to hurt it was to disturb the balance."

Faith had been there and could finish the story. "So Buffy's witch friend Willow cast a spell—making any potential girl a Slayer."

Cuddy shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. What do you mean by 'potential'?"

Giles said, "When the tribal leaders created the first Slayer, they had made the spell as such that when that girl died, another would become infused with the power of the Slayer. It usually happens when they are fifteen or sixteen."

"Oh, my," Cuddy said in a whisper. She couldn't imagine any child that young having to have that kind of responsibility.

"Only one girl becomes the Chosen One, but there is an entire pool worldwide that can be chosen from," Giles said. He was so anxious that he was almost out of breath.

"But that spell that Buffy had cast made all girls from that group a Slayer. Now there is an army of Slayers. Most of them are in Europe with Buffy." Faith was glad to be away from them. She didn't want the responsibility of caring for them. She couldn't do it.

"I still don't understand what that has to do with me," Cameron said.

Giles looked straight at her. "All of these girls can now kill demons. The balance has shifted."

"And now they're trying to shift the balance back?" Kate asked.

"How?" Cuddy asked.

Giles said, "There is a ceremony during the full moon. A priestess—which is apparently Drusilla—will call forth the dark magics. She will turn Cameron into a vampire and then the darkness—even darker than that of a vampire—will overcome her."

"And what does that mean?" Cameron asked. She had never been so frightened by a conversation in her life.

"It means that you will be the anti-Slayer. You will be a vampire weapon to wipe out all Slayers and forces of goodness."

House's forehead wrinkled. "But you said that Slayers are usually teens. Why would anyone want Cameron? She's almost thirty."

"Gee, thanks," Cameron said. "Stop helping."

"For once, he's actually got a good point," Angel said. "But it's different because Slayers are human girls. They are obviously stronger at that age. But if Cameron is turned into a vamp, she'll be strong and beautiful forever."

Cameron glanced up at Angel. Beautiful?

House glanced at him, too. Being a vampire meant eternal youth. As he popped his tenth Vicodin in his mouth that day, he realized that it also meant eternal painlessness.

TBC


	12. The Full Moon

Notes: I know it's been way too long, but I finally got inspiration, so here it is. I tried to make it a bit longer. Thank you to all of those who have waited patiently for me!

Chapter 12

Angel looked at the group and then at the clock. Everyone looked exhausted and it was almost midnight. "Okay, the full moon is tomorrow so Drusilla probably won't do anything else until the sun sets." He looked over at Cameron. "She'll try to perform the ceremony then."

"We're just going to wait for her to come?" Wilson asked.

Kate knew where Angel was going with this. "We all need some sleep. We should get some rest and be ready for her tomorrow night."

The group found spots on the floor, Cuddy took the couch, and Angel guided Cameron to House's bedroom. House shouted, "Hey, why the hell does she get my bed? Unless I'm in it and then I'm so not complaining."

Angel sighed and turned to face House. "I need a quiet place to think because frankly you and your people give me a headache and she's had to go through enough tonight to deserve a mattress. Okay?"

House limped closer to Angel. "Give me a break, Forehead. You want to take her in there because she's cute and vulnerable. But be careful of this one," House said of Cameron. "If you so much as smile at her, she'll start naming your babies and unzipping your pants."

Before House could blink, Angel pushed him against the wall with his hand gripped at his neck. "If you ever talk to her like that again, I'll feed you your kidney." Angel backed away from him, his eyes trained on House and then put his hand on Cameron's back and ushered her into the bedroom.

Cameron stood, gape-mouthed, just inside the room, her hand still on the doorknob. "No one's ever talked to him like that," Cameron said. "Well, at least not on my behalf."

Angel went to the window and looked outside, checking for danger. Then he closed the blinds and turned on a lamp by the bed, emitting a soft glow in the room. Humbly, he said, "Don't worry about it. He was out of line."

She raised her chin and wrinkled her forehead. "_He_ was out of line? What the hell were you thinking?"

He turned around, his face blank. "I was thinking that he disrespected you."

"He disrespects everyone." She walked over to him and looked up into his confused eyes. "After a night like this with so much violence and evil, what good comes from more violence and malice?"

He saw the conviction in her eyes and it reminded him of that same conviction that had made him fall in love with Buffy and then with Cordelia. "There's going to be a lot more violence before this whole thing is over. Can you handle that?"

It touched her how quiet his voice was, how honest. It almost sounded fragile, like he _needed_ to save her, to save people, to believe that the world could be saved. "Why do you do this? Why do you fight so hard?"

He blinked and moved away from her. Sitting down on the foot of the bed, he asked, "Why are you a doctor?"

She thought about it for a moment and then said, "To give people more time. To give husbands more time with their wives. With their children."

Angel looked down at the floor. It was never comfortable for him to talk about this. "I did a lot of damage in my day. _I_ kept husbands from their families. I hurt so many people. And I want to stop others from doing it too."

She sat down next to him. "So, how is this going to work?"

He looked over at her. "Tomorrow?" When she nodded, he continued, "The best thing to do is to keep you away from Drusilla. But we also have to consider other groups that might want to take you."

"Other groups?" she said, alarmed.

He shrugged apologetically. "Cult groups and the like. There's always more than one. Don't worry, I had to fight off several cult groups that wanted my son and—"

"You have a son?"

He smiled and turned his head to look at her. "You get side-tracked easily don't you?"

She smiled back. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"He's going to be 22 this year. He's a sophomore at Notre Dame. His name is Connor."

"Why were cults after your son?"

"Because vampires can't actually have children. He was a miracle."

Cameron laughed. "I don't believe in miracles."

His brow furrowed. "There are miracles everywhere. You just have to be willing to look for them."

She leaned a little closer. "Can you really protect us?"

He looked straight into her green eyes with the intensity he was known for. "I'll die trying. But I'll also try really hard not to die."

She laughed again. "That was much more comforting than what I thought it would be."

He came closer. "I tend to have that effect on people."

"I don't have that effect," she said, almost in a whisper.

"I think you'd be surprised," he said, putting his hand on hers, that was resting between them on the bed.

She moved over and was about to kiss him when both felt a strong, heavy heat and fell onto the bed asleep.

……………………………………

Foreman walked over the sleeping bodies and headed for the bedroom. After all of these years, he was still surprised that one little Latin word could cause everyone to go into a deep sleep.

He opened the door and saw Cameron and Angel knocked out on the bed. He chuckled. That's probably exactly where she wanted to be with Angel anyway. He picked her up and carried her out of the apartment and put her into his car.

He didn't want to do this. But at least it would all be over. He had been waiting since he was seventeen years old and now it would be finished.

He had broken into a house when he was a kid. He had actually done a lot more than that. But a law office, Wolfram and Hart, had promised to erase everything besides the B and E if he was just willing to go to medical school. They even said that they would pay for it. He willingly jumped at it, which he realized now had probably been a mistake. He should have known that there would be a loop hole.

When he graduated from Hopkins, Wolfram and Hart told him where to intern, which doctors would be his mentors. He never questioned them publicly, but he wondered how they had this much power. Then they told him he would work for Greg House.

And that he would have to watch Allison Cameron.

That's when he questioned. "I have to _watch_ someone? What exactly do you want from me?" he had asked.

The lawyer had told him, "Our agency has devoted a lot of time to you and your success. It isn't asking a lot to do what we ask. When we ask it. Just watch Miss Cameron now and we'll give you another objective in a few years."

And that's what happened. He worked for House, watched Cameron, and last week got the word that he would have to make sure on the full moon to take her to a certain address.

As he got in his car and drove to the address, he wondered what would happen once his objective was complete.

……………………………………

The next day, the group woke up. Angel walked into the living room. "What the hell happened last night?"

Faith was drinking a cup of coffee that Wilson and Kate had made. "I don't know, boss. Did we all collectively get drunk and forget about it?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "Where's Cameron?"

Wilson stood up. "She's not in the bedroom?"

Angel shook his head.

Kate opened her cell phone to get into contact with the police department as she said to the group, "Where is she?"

"And where is Foreman?" House asked as he twirled his cane in the corner.

The wheels started clicking in Angel's head. "He took her." He looked over at the clock. It was six in the afternoon—and almost sundown. "We've been out for eighteen hours?"

Giles took off his eyeglasses and cleaned them. "It must have been a spell."

"Can you cast a locater spell?" Keen asked Giles.

He stammered, "I can certainly try."

A flaming stake crashed through the front window. Cuddy and Faith tried to put it out as Angel dashed outside to find Drusilla standing at the sidewalk, the shadows hiding her from the sun.

"You've been a naughty boy, Angel," Drusilla said and then she growled like a dog. "You've kept my girl from me."

Angel shook his head. "Sorry, Dru. She went out for some cigs."

She squirmed and started to moan. "All the little birds have died. They cry from their graves."

He didn't say anything. He was hoping that in all of her distress, she would forget that he was there and tell him where Cameron was, if she could see her.

But he didn't need to. He had a vision.

He saw a large office building.

"Wolfram and Hart: New Jersey Branch."

……………………………

"Shouldn't we go with you?" Wilson asked as he, House, Kate, Cuddy, and Chase watched them leave the apartment.

"No," Angel said quickly. "You and Kate have lives here in New Jersey. They would easily ruin your careers. Plus, it's safer if you stay here. Drusilla won't come back here."

"Don't you care about my career?" House asked with a pout.

Angel shrugged. "If _you_ haven't ended your career yet, then I don't think any power in the world can ruin it."

Angel, Faith, Keen, and Giles got into the car wearing suits and briefcases they borrowed from House, Wilson, and Cuddy and headed for the law offices.

The four of them strode into the building and got into an elevator. Through Keen's internet search, they already knew what floor they were looking for: Floor 5—Special Projects.

Angel rushed from the elevator and smashed through the door of the Head of Special Projects, someone named Anderson Craig. He grabbed his throat and slammed him against the desk. He nearly growled, "I'm guessing that you already know who I am and that I was in the building. So we'll skip all the formalities of, you know, me threatening to rip out your rib cage. Where is she?"

Anderson smirked. "Do you really think I'll tell you where your sweet doctor is? Yes, I know who you are, Mr. Angel, and considering your history, _I'm_ guessing that you're already contemplating if you'll lose your tortured soul to her. Am I right?"

"I don't have time for games," Angel said as he took the guy's wrist and snapped it. The man cried in pain and Angel said, "But if she dies, I will take the time to torture you and if you do know me so well, you know I can torture. Where is she?"

Anderson said, "Okay, just let me up." Angel backed up and Anderson turned to take a pen and piece of paper from his desk. He wrote something on it and gave it to Angel. "Here's the address of where she is."

Angel looked down at the paper in his hand and then said, "Let's go."

………………………………

Angel pulled the car up in front of the warehouse and the group got out. The four hadn't had time to change their clothes, but they were now loaded with weapons. They knew that Anderson Craig had most likely called to warn of their arrival, so there was no chance of a surprise attack. Angel kicked down the door and stood in a fighting stance, ready.

There were six armed guards, two priest-like men performing the ceremony in front of a tied up Cameron who was wearing a white ceremonial robe. A vampire was chained in the corner, presumably to force him to make Cameron a vampire when the ritual was over.

Angel gave a roundhouse kick to the first guard and as the guard tried to fire his gun, Angel spun him around in order that he shoot a second guard.

Faith punched another guard in the face, breaking his nose and when he keeled over, she elbowed him between the shoulder blades.

Keen and Giles began hitting another guard together while a fourth decided to unleash the vampire in hopes to distract the group. The vampire charged at Angel and he dusted it with the stake strapped at his wrist. Grabbing the guard, Angel slammed his head into his bent knee and then rammed him against the wall, causing the man to slump to the ground.

Faith jumped, kicking the last two guards with both feet and then catapulted herself back to her feet. Angel grabbed Faith by the arm, giving her leverage to spin herself off the ground and shove one into a priest. The last guard put his hands up, dropped his gun, and ran out of the building.

All that was left was the chanting priest.

And Foreman who had gone unseen behind a doorway.

He was just about to put them all to sleep again with his spell when Drusilla came from behind him. She kicked him in the back of the knee, causing him to drop to the ground so that she could reach his neck. In one fluid motion that barely caused her to pause, she wrapped her hands around his head and twisted, breaking his neck.

Angel, Keen, Faith, and Giles stood in shock as she walked towards them and the priest. Grabbing the priest by the back of his robe, she gave one push and he flew across the room.

"Angel!" Cameron muttered from underneath the gag in her mouth.

"I'm trying," was all he said and she knew what he meant.

"You never were one to give up, were ya, Dru?" Angel said, gripping his broadsword tighter.

"You've known me too long, Angel. And you know the dark wants this girl."

His voice got deep and dangerous. "The dark can't have her."

She smiled. Her eyes flickered with excitement. "We'll see about that, Daddy."

They ran towards each other, ready to fight. He took a swing at her and she ducked from the blade, a sharp _swish _cutting the air. She punched him in the gut and he grunted with pain. She always could fight. And she was crazy, which always seemed to help her in a fight.

Giles and Keen ran towards Cameron and untied her. Faith rushed to help Angel, hitting Drusilla in the back of the head with the butt of her axe.

Cameron looked up at Giles. "Give me a weapon."

He shook his head. "You're in no condition to fight."

Her eyes trained on his. "Not fighting is all I've been doing. I'm sick of cowering. Give me a damn weapon."

He gave her the extra sword he had on him and the three of them went to help Faith and Angel.

Cameron swung and sliced the front of Drusilla's dress open. Drusilla looked down, crushed, and said, "I thought you wanted to save us. I thought you wanted to be our queen."

Cameron held the sword in front of her. "Right now, I just want to cut your head off, so no, I'm guessing you were wrong about the 'queen' thing."

Drusilla started wailing again. "This is just all wrong. Everything is wrong!"

Angel clutched at Drusilla's hair and pulled her to him. "Dru, you're going to be dead if you don't leave. Now. You're not getting your queen. You all failed."

Drusilla skulked away, mumbling, "The birds weep. They miss their mummies."

"Is that it?" Faith asked. "Are we safe now?"

Angel rested his hands on his hips. "I think so. Dru wouldn't have left so easily if she had felt another group coming for Cameron. It's over."

Keen, Faith, and Giles headed for the car. "Well, thank goodness that bloody mess is over," Giles said. "Now I can go back and turn Miss Cuddy's love spell around."

Faith patted him on the back. "Good luck with that one, Giles. I think she kind of likes you."

Giles puffed up, saying, "Do you think so?"

"Oh, yeah," Faith said, jumping in the convertible. "She can't wait to climb Big Ben."

Giles blinked. "How graphically clever."

Cameron stood over Foreman in the warehouse and took his pulse. "He's dead."

Angel was close to her. "I know."

She straightened up and looked at him. "Why do you think he did it?"

"My vision wasn't exactly clear," he said, "but I think he had been beholden to an evil law firm since he was a teen."

Cameron's brow furrowed. "An evil law firm? How weird is your life exactly?"

His lips turned up. "You have no idea."

She lifted her hand to his cheek. "Thank you."

He looked down, but not enough to shrug her touch off. "There's no need."

She came closer. "Somehow I know there's no need, but I thank you anyway. Not just for saving me but for getting the chance to meet you."

His eyes warmed. They were dark and inviting. "You're welcome. And that feeling is mutual."

She lifted her other hand to his head and slowly pulled him down until his lips met hers. The kiss was soft and gentle. Both sensed that neither had much experience in this area. He brought his hands to the small of her back as his lips pressed and played and explored against hers. His tongue grazed the tip of her lip and both jumped, realizing that it was going too far too fast.

He pulled away, but still had his hands on her waist. "Would you like to go for some coffee some time?"

She cocked her eyebrow. "We just kissed after you saved me from vampires and you ask me out for coffee?"

"Yeah," he said innocently.

She looked down and laughed. "Okay. I'll go for coffee."

They started to walk out of the building when Angel said, "Can we go tomorrow? Because it's been a really long two days."

They smiled at each other and got into the car.

TBC


	13. Choices, Dates, and Consequences

I know, once again, that it's been forever since I've updated. I apologize, but summer classes are finally over and I now have a couple weeks' vacation. Can I hear a hallelujah? Anyway, hopefully this chapter makes up for all of that. It is the longest I've ever written and I hope it's not too painfully long.  So, please enjoy…And thanks to all of those SO MUCH that have waited for me. You are all very awesome and appreciated.

Chapter 13

House sat at his desk late that Saturday evening. He had no case and he hated being at work, well anytime, but especially during the weekend. But his home had been invaded, his sanctuary, just the day before by his friends and Angel's flunkies. His office was the only place he felt he was sure he could be alone.

He opened the first drawer of his desk and pulled out a stack of manila folders. He looked at resumes periodically partially because he knew that Foreman, Cameron, and Chase's terms would eventually be over and partially because he knew people could work with him only so long before they would want to quit. So he kept files just in case.

And now he would have to look through them and find a new doctor now that Foreman was…gone. Even House couldn't comprehend what had just happened. But he had always known that there was something behind Foreman's eyes, behind his walk and arrogance. It bugged him that he didn't know exactly the final puzzle piece, but he finally at least knew what puzzle he was looking at.

He flipped through another profile and put it in the pile of doctors he wanted to interview. He winced when he moved his leg and took out his Vicodin bottle. He stared at it, twirled it, listening to the pills clack inside the bottle.

He popped a pill in his mouth as the words that kept whispering in his head swirled through again.

_Young and healthy for eternity._

…………………………………

Wilson opened the door and Kate walked into the boutique. "What are we doing here?" she said with a questioning smile.

"I told you," he said as he looked around at the different clothes around them. "I said I would buy you a new dress."

Her eyes got big. "You don't have to do that, James."

It was his turn to smile. He put his hand in his pocket and put his other hand on her shoulder. "Yes, I do. You looked beautiful in that dress. It would be painful to never see you in it again."

She laughed. "You are smooth."

He looked down and blushed. "So I've been told."

A clerk approached them. "Can I help you?" Kate told her that she needed another black dress. "I'm sorry, ma'am," the clerk told her. "We have sold out of that particular dress."

Wilson looked over at a defeated Kate. "Okay, then. Let's find you something even better."

"You don't have to do this," she said.

"You keep saying that, but oddly, you just haven't convinced me."

………………………………………

Cuddy heard a knock at the door and prayed that it wasn't Chase. She had convinced him that he had to go to New York City to buy her something from Tiffany's if he loved her. He willingly went, giving her a break, but now she was afraid that he had doubled back and was ready to spout more poetry.

She opened the door and sighed with relief. "Thank you so much for doing this."

"Not at all, Miss Cuddy," Giles said as he pushed his glasses further up his nose. "This certainly needs to be fixed and I'm happy to help to you."

"Please call me Lisa." She guided him into her living room. "I feel so foolish about all of this."

Giles set his leather bag onto the coffee table and began pulling out candles and herbs. "If you don't mind my asking, why did you cast that spell?"

She pulled her hair back with her hands and sighed. "I never thought, never meant, for it to actually work."

Giles brow furrowed and he smiled slightly. "Then why did you do it?"

She looked at him and then looked away. "I guess I was hoping that somehow The Powers That Be would take notice that I was…trying."

Giles shook his head. "They don't actually handle those types of things. They more or less send champions to save people or the world, but they don't typically interfere in romantic dealings."

Cuddy's eyes got big. "Who? You mean there actually is something called "The Powers that Be?" She sat down on her couch. "I need another drink."

He smiled. "I couldn't imagine why a woman like you would need a spell anyway."

A curl fell over her eyes as she said, "I spend so much time helping others that I don't have any time for anything else. Do you understand?"

"More than you'll ever know, I assure you." Lighting the candles, he mixed herbs in a bowl and began speaking in Latin.

"How long will this take?" She stood up next to him and crossed her arms in front of his chest.

"Not very long now." He looked down at her and decided not to speak. She was that kind of pretty that always made him stammer his words.

They both turned when they heard the door slam against the wall when it opened. It was Chase.

"What are you doing?" he asked menacingly. "Why are you here with _him_?"

She put her hands up in front of her. "Calm down. Nothing is going on."

"It looks like you are doing magic. You're trying to stop our love!" He pushed Cuddy out of the way and she landed on the couch. He picked up a vase sitting on the table next to the couch and hit Giles on the head.

Giles fell to the ground and muttered, "Good show, Giles. Hit on the head again." He struggled to pick himself back up and continued to chant in Latin.

Chase bent down over Giles and started to pick him up by his tweed jacket. Cuddy had been afraid that something such as this would happen, so she had kept her father's favorite baseball bat hidden under some pillows on the couch. While Chase was busy with Giles, she pulled it out and hit him in the back with it. He fell to his knees and Giles took the opportunity to hit him in the jaw as hard as he could. Chase collapsed onto the floor, passed out.

When Chase came to, he looked at the two staring at him. "Dr, Cuddy," he said. "What am I doing in your house?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "You don't remember?"

He blinked as memories started to roll back. "Oh, no," he said. "I am so sorry. Did I hurt either of you?"

They both shook their heads. When he asked what had happened to him, Cuddy embarrassingly tried to explain.

"Can I talk to you alone?" Chase asked. She nodded and led him into the kitchen.

Once they were in the kitchen, he ran a hand through his hair. "I just wanted to personally apologize to you."

She shook her head again. "If anyone needs to apologize, Dr. Chase, it's me. I'm sorry for putting you through this."

He smiled slightly as he pulled a blue box from his pocket. "I, uh, bought this and I think you should have it."

Her jaw dropped as she opened it. It was a pair of diamond earrings. "This is from Tiffany's! It must have cost you a fortune. You have to take it back."

"No," he said. "You need to know that you deserve happiness. Hopefully these will be a reminder that you're worth it."

"Dr. Chase, I can't take this."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "You'd have to put me under another spell to make me take them back."

Her lips turned into that humble grin they were all so aware of. "Thank you. You deserve happiness, too."

His hair bounced as he turned to leave. "Maybe someday we'll find it."

………………………………

House parked his motorcycle and pulled out his keys as he headed for his apartment. Faith was sitting on his stoop. "Is there another apocalypse tonight?" he asked. "Because you can't have my apartment if that's the case."

She cocked her head and gave him a smile as she said in that raspy voice, "That's not exactly how I wanted to use your apartment."

Those blues eyes sparkled with surprise. "Are we really going to do this?"

She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "I promised you, didn't I?"

He put the key in the lock and opened the door. "You gotta respect a woman who keeps her promises."

Without saying another word, she grabbed him by his lapels and shoved him inside, kicking the door shut behind her. She reached up and kissed him hard. They backed each other down the hall until they were at the bedroom door. She looked up at him panting and said, "Sex is a bit different with a Slayer. You think you can handle it?"

He stroked a strand of her hair, then bent down and nipped at her earlobe with his teeth. Still down at her ear, he whispered, his breath tickling at her neck, "If you kill me, I'm pretty sure I'll die happy."

He felt her body tense up and she backed away. He did not know that he had said the word she feared and knew so well: _kill_.

She looked up into his paled and confused face. She wanted him, wanted this. And she could tell that he wanted her, not a murderer or the Slayer. Her.

She kissed his neck as she ripped his shirt open.

Without turning around, he turned the knob and opened the bedroom door. He threw his cane to the ground with a loud _smack_ against the hardwood floor.

She took of her shirt as they began to dance toward the bed. His fingers slipped underneath the band of her jeans. He left them there for a few moments, taking in the movement of her breathing and the heat of her skin. He rubbed the pads of her thumbs across her flat stomach and then pulled her to him in a kiss while he unbuttoned her pants.

He held her waist on either side as she sat on the bed. She helped him take of his t-shirt and kissed his chest, licking and nipping at his skin. He rubbed the back of her head, holding her to his chest and moaned as her mouth and hands moved down to just above his jeans. She, painfully slowly, removed his jeans and then they looked at each other, naked and ready.

She grabbed him by the arms and with her super strength, tossed him onto the bed. They both laughed, he surprised and she amused by his reaction.

She got on top of him, her hair swinging by his shoulder as she leaned over and licked his neck.

…………………………………

Wilson sat on a dressing room chair holding Kate's purse. He looked down at it and laughed. After three marriages, one would imagine that he had held a lot of purses, but in truth, he had never been around long enough to do so. He was always either hunting vampires, seeing patients, or spending time with House.

But Kate Lockley was different. She was exciting and beautiful and most of all, already knew his truth.

She had already tried on three dresses and was putting on the fourth. He watched the door, waiting anxiously for her to emerge. When she did, his breath caught. The black dress showed and hid just the right amount to let his imagination twirl like a ride at an amusement park. Her honey blonde hair curled softly at her shoulders and the light shone in the strands. Her coral lips smiled and he somehow knew that she did not smile often.

She tilted her hip to one side and folded her arms in front of her. As feminine as she was, she couldn't hide the inner tomboy. "Was is it?" she asked with a blush.

He looked at her with charming reverence. "This dress is even more beautiful than the first. You must have it."

She shook her head as she laughed softly. "I don't know where I'll wear it."

He stood up and handed Kate her purse, his fingers brushes past hers. "Do you like to dance?" he asked.

…………………………………

Cameron sat on her couch, her legs crossed. She unfolded her legs, reached over and grabbed a magazine from the coffee table. She tried to read the medical article but the words blurred together into one single word across the page: ANGEL.

She went into her room and changed into a track outfit. Turning on her treadmill, she began to jog. She admonished herself for needing to work off some tension. She had barely known the man for forty-eight hours.

But he wasn't a man, was he? She knew the correct term was _vampire_ but that made little sense to her. She didn't believe in much. Not God. Not a higher being. And certainly not monsters that go bump in the night.

_Bump in the night_. Damn, that was probably the wrong way to think about Angel. She started to run faster as she wondered exactly how well he bumped in the night. Those strong arms braced over her, his dark eyes looking into hers, his soft voice rumbling into her ear, his breath hot on her face—

But he didn't breathe. She wondered what else he didn't do. She decided that once she was done running, she would research vampires on the internet.

She ran even faster, sweat sliding down her hot skin. She wasn't sure she could stand waiting until the next day to see him. Her legs start to ache as she realized that she was running much too fast. She slowed down, her shirt sticking to her back. She nearly fell off of the machine when she heard a knock at the door.

xxxxxxxx

Angel paced outside the apartment door. He knew he was known to monumentally screw up any relationship he was in and he didn't want to start out screwing this one up too. He was afraid that by coming here a day early that was exactly what he was doing. But he could not stop himself.

He had to see Allison Cameron.

The honesty, purity in her eyes haunted him. He wanted to run his fingers through her dark curls, touch her soft lips against his again. He wanted to know what she thought about everything, what she was like as a child.

At least he met her once she was _out_ of high school this time. He looked over at the door, wondering what she was doing behind it. Was she watching television? Eating ice cream? Taking a long bath? Sleeping afterward, her skin still damp?

But then the usual doubts crawled their way into his head. What did he have to offer her? Why would she want him? Why would she love him?

He was about to walk away, planning to brood for the rest of the night. But with his super-hearing, he heard Cameron moan, not realizing that it was from her aching legs on the treadmill. The sound made heat rise from his lower back all the way to the top of his head. If his heart could beat, it would be racing.

He turned suddenly and without second thought, knocked on the door.

A few moments later, Cameron opened the door. He never would have thought that the look of her would make him even hotter. She was sweaty, her hair curling around her neck and back. Her shirt clung to her, further emphasizing her figure. She was breathing heavy, panting.

He had to restrain himself from forcing her to invite him in and pulling her to the bedroom.

He had no idea that it was all she could to from grabbing him and taking him right there on the floor.

Her eyes took him all in. His black leather jacket hugged at his broad shoulders and defined his V-d waist. His dark slacks fit snug against his strong legs and she tried not to stare at what else fit snug across his lap. His thin lips made a nervous smile and she knew instantly that smile was her favorite look on his face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought we were waiting until tomorrow."

He looked down at the ground and wrung his hands together as he stammered, "I know, but I just thought that if you weren't doing anything and I know I wasn't doing anything that, well you know you can get coffee anytime and it might as well—"

She cut him off, putting her hand on his arm. "Angel?"

He started over and looked up at her. He had waited too late to tell Cordy how he felt. He wasn't going to do that this time. "I didn't want to wait to see you."

She smiled at him and still didn't take her hand from his arm. "I'd love to go with you. Is it alright if I take a quick shower?"

He looked at her, dumb stricken. _Shower_. _Wet_. "Uh, yeah, I'll just wait."

She chuckled softly. "You can wait inside."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "You have to invite me."

She opened the door wider. "Of course you're invited."

……………………………

Angel got out of the convertible downtown and walked around the car. He opened the door for Cameron and she stood up beside him. They stood close for what felt like deliciously painful hours. A breeze swirled around them and they avoided each other's eyes. He finally took her hand in his and guided her around the car door as he shut it.

"So where are we going?" he asked, looking down at her.

"There's this great coffee shop down the street," she said, putting her purse on her shoulder. "I used to go there all the time when I moved here, but life got into the way."

Almost as a whisper, he asked, "Do you mean House?"

Her jaw dropped and she almost stumbled on the sidewalk, surprised by his intuitiveness. "I, uh, yeah. I thought that I…that I loved him, but—"

He turned to her. "But you didn't?"

She looked down, studying the cracks underneath her feet. "I don't think so. I was more infatuated." She shook her head, saying, "Whatever it was, I don't feel that way anymore."

He nodded and tried not to smile. But what she asked afterward almost made him fall and splatter his head across the concrete.

"What about you? Is there anyone that keeps you from coffee shops?"

They finally reached the building and he opened the door for her. He guided her with his hand at the small of her back. As they walked to the back of the room, he said, "All of my life, which has been very long, I've been in love with two women. But one of them is…gone and the other, well, she died twice, but she and I are…over. And it's okay."

"You're lucky." She sat down at the small table as noise bustled around them.

"How do you mean?" Angel took off of his jacket, his dark blue sweater complimenting his eyes.

She looked at him self consciously. "How many people get to fall in love, really in love, twice in a lifetime, even your lifetime?"

He tilted his head and smiled. "I'm lucky tonight."

Her brows furrowed. "What?"

"Because in all of these years, I've loved twice and I'm here with you tonight."

She put her head down, blushing. "Oh," she said softly. Then she looked back at him, a glow in her eyes. "I guess I'm lucky, too."

The waitress came and took their orders. Once she left them, he clasped his hands together as he often did and leaned over the table. "There's probably something I should tell you."

"You're actually a woman?" Cameron said with a laugh. When he just stared at her, she said, "You're not, right?"

He shook his head. "As you've probably noticed, I'm not evil. And I'm guessing you noticed that all of the other vampires you saw were evil."

She smirked. "I thought there was something different about you."

He put his head down and kept talking. "It's because about a hundred years ago, I ate the wrong girl. A gypsy. Her clan loved her so much that they cursed me. With a soul."

They leaned back as the waitress came with their coffee and as she walked away, Cameron said, "I think I'm missing something because that sounds like a good thing instead of a curse."

"Believe me, it's a curse," he said, putting his hands around the cup. "I have to live with all of the horrific things I did when I was evil, all of the things that I can't take back."

Her eyes slid down to the table and she let out a quiet, "I'm sorry."

He winced. "There's more." Her eyes flew back up to his and he could see the worry in her face. It made his palms sweaty. "The curse stipulates that if I have one moment of perfect happiness, I lose my soul. That I revert to a stone cold killer of the worst kind."

She took a sip of her latte while she tried to clear the storm raging in her head. "Well, how often does that happen? I mean, how many times do people actually have bliss?"

He bit his lip. "I've lost my soul twice because of it. The two women I mentioned before."

She felt her self esteem spiraling. Two women. Perfect bliss. Hot anger started to boil in her gut. "Why are you telling me this?"

He looked around the room, afraid that someone would hear him. He leaned closer and said, "The happiness has always come from…consummating the relationship. I've been with other women knowing that I wouldn't lose my soul. But I thought you should know, because I'm afraid."

Her forehead wrinkled. "Afraid of what?"

"That if I was to ever…be with you, that I _would_ lose myself."

Her self esteem circled itself back up. She certainly had never heard a line like that. "So what exactly are you saying?"

His dark eyes looked straight at her with all of the honesty and sensitivity he had. "I'm asking you to consider what you're getting into with me. I want to be honest with you from the start. I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you to decide if you think you need time. Because you should think about it. There's so many things I can't give you. Sex. Children. I can't even walk out into the daylight with you."

She couldn't breathe. All of the fantasies she had already created in her mind were swallowed by the storm. "Thank you for telling me," she said. "I like you. But after what I've put myself through for the last three years, I think I should take the time to think it over."

His lips closed tight together. "Are you ready to go?"

………………

Angel pulled the car up to Cameron's apartment building. He said, "I don't really know what to do in this situation."

She turned closer to him, putting her hand against his strong, smooth cheek. "We'll figure out together okay?"

He smiled and leaned closer. "That sounds good."

She almost closed her eyes. "I'm not promising anything."

"So what is this?" he said, his voice rumbling. His mouth hovered inches from hers as her thumb caressed his cheekbone.

"This?" she asked smiling. "This is a culmination of two days. This is a beautiful end to a sweet night."

His lips came down to hers softly at first. He raised his hand to hers that was covering his cheek. He rubbed the back of it and then grabbed it off of his face and held her hand. He kissed and messaged her lips with his and as he felt her lips part, his tongue slipped past. It delighted and frightened him to hear her moan when their tongues touched.

When he felt her hand reach underneath his sweater, he pulled back. "I should go."

She tried to catch her breath. "Yes, you better."

When she opened the car door and he asked, "Do you want me to walk you up?"

She smiled apologetically. "Honestly, Angel, I don't think that's a good idea."

He turned back to face the steering wheel. "Okay. I had a nice night."

She stepped out of the car and bent down to look at him. "So did I. And I'm going to finish the night with a pint of ice cream and reruns of Queer as Folk."

He laughed. "You lost me a little. I'm not that good at pop culture references."

Her eyebrow cocked. "How old are you?"

……………………

Faith rolled out of bed. "Damn that was good." She found her jeans and put them on. With a teasing smile, she said, "Especially for your age."

House lay on his back, spent. "I took yoga classes just in case I found someone like you."

She put her shirt on. "It was well worth it." She sat back down on the bed and kissed him appreciatively and animalistic.

He pushed her hair back from and saw a long scar on her neck. "How did you get this?"

She tensed up and looked down at the sheets. "From Angel."

He smirked. "Rough sex?"

Laughing, she said, "No, but that was a fantasy from way back when. He bit me when he was evil. I injected myself with an opiate and he bit me. It was the only way to capture him."

He looked at her with fascination. "What was that like?"

Her hair fell around her as she put her head down. "Before I passed out, it was the most amazing high I've ever felt. It was disgusting and scary as hell, but it was a high. Some people actually do it _to_ get high. There are brothels for it."

He stayed quiet as he watched her get up and head for the door. He said, "You're not coming back are you?"

She put her hand in her back pocket and turned to look at him. "Generally, no. I hit once and don't come back. Does that bother you?" The question even surprised her. She never would have asked that a few years back. Maybe she was growing up…

He reached for his bottle of Vicodin. "Well, _generally _I tend to pine and make marble statues of my lover's naked body, but in this instance, I think I can contain myself."

She smiled before she left. His comment didn't hurt her. Her one night stands usually couldn't.

He didn't watch her leave, closing her eyes as the two pills slid down his throat. He wanted to ignore the feeling of bile creeping from the pit of his gut to the top of his throat. But he couldn't.

It wasn't that Faith left. Like her, he did not dwell on his sex partners. He'd rather not have to see them again—it took the pressure off.

Maybe it was that her leaving _didn't_ bother him. He was almost fifty years old and his life consisted of one night stands, usually with hookers, and difficult medical cases. His only friend was a needs-addict that seems to have gotten his claws into that pretty blonde. He was alone, in pain, and could no longer convince himself that he wanted the first and could handle the latter.

He was spent from his turn with the Slayer. His body was still shaking; he never met another woman with that much power and stamina. But it wasn't the best sex he ever had. Physically, yes, it was stunning. But his best sex was over now. Stacy was gone.

He went to the bathroom, picking his cane up on the way. He stared at the door, twirling his cane. As if someone gave him a hard shove, he was propelled to the door, grabbing his keys as he left.

……………………………

Wilson followed Kate onto the dance floor of Lorne's restaurant. Lorne smiled and waved at them from on stage, relieved to see them in one piece. He crooned a sweet love song as Wilson took her hand and pulled her close to him.

When his hand slid to the small of her back, she nearly closed her eyes and sighed. "A man hasn't touched me like that in years. Hell, ever." He looked at her like a doe at the end of a rifle and she sucked in a gulp of breath. "Oh, damn it," she hissed. "I can't ever stop myself from being too emotionally available." She shrugged as she analyzed her past behavior. "That is of course until I get to know the man too well or we get too close and then I'm completely emotionally _unavailable._"

He pulled her closer and shushed her. "Shh, don't worry." He pushed a strand of hair from her face and stroked its silky texture. "If I didn't want to be here with you, I, well I'd probably be eating Chinese takeout with House." He swayed her to Lorne's smooth voice and said, "I like you. The way you think, move, the things you say. I like the way your eyebrow wrinkles when you say too much and panic." He bent down and whispered in her ear, "And to know that I'm the only man that has touched you this way, it makes me wish that I met you sooner." He looked at her again, stared into her surprised blue eyes. "If it makes you feel better, I haven't wanted to touch a woman, spend time with anyone like I have wanted to since the first moment I met you. And I never tell a woman anything like that when I first meet them."

She snuggled even closer to him, her delicate new dress rubbing across her skin as she rubbed against his suit jacket. "Just promise me that if I screw this up that I won't have to move across the country again."

He took a breath and a leap of faith that he never took with women. "If you keep dancing with me like this, I'll have to move with you if you ever move."

She nearly purred as she put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

………………………

House got off of his motorcycle and entered the large office building. He got into the elevator and pushed the button for the tenth floor. As he stepped out, he opened the door that said "Brown Advertising" on the window and went to the secretary at the desk.

She smiled at him coyly and said, "Hello, Mr. House. It's been a while since we've seen you." She leaned over, showing him cleavage and her eyelids slid down lustily. "It's very nice to see you tonight. I'm sure I can schedule Holly again to handle you very soon."

He took a breath and leaned over the desk, his hands on the counter. "No, I was actually hoping to see someone new tonight."

She raised her eyebrows. "Oh? What's your preference, Mr. House?"

He nearly whispered, "Someone with a little more bite."

She whispered as well, conspiratorially. "Would you like Rita, sir? She does S and M like no one else."

Shaking his head, he said, "Uh, no. I was thinking someone a little darker than that."

"Darker than S and M?"

He looked away. "Yeah, someone with fangs."

She looked at him for a few moments and blinked. Then she laughed loudly. "I'm so sorry. I can be clueless sometimes. You would think after working here for five months that I would have it down by now." He just smiled at her and she looked at her book. "There's an opening in ten minutes, if you'd like to wait."

He nodded, paid her the five hundred dollars and entered the lobby. It looked like the waiting room of any ad agency, with black leather chairs and a coffee table in the middle with an array of magazines. He sat there for what felt like hours until a tall woman with a black teddy opened an office door and ushered him in. Inside the room, it still looked like an office with desk and chairs. But she opened the door of what looked like a closet and led him into another room. It was decadent, with blood red walls and a large bed twice the size of his that was covered in black, silk sheets.

He looked around and then put his cane on the back of a chair by the door. "So how does this work?"

The prostitute curled up to him, smoothing her hands across his leather riding jacket. "Am I your first, baby?"

He looked at her with indifference. "My first vampire." He pulled away from her and stared hard into her eyes. "How does this work?" he repeated more forcefully.

She flipped her dark, black hair back and said, "I suck you." Then with a devilish smile, she cocked her head and said, "And then if you want I can drink your blood." When he didn't smile back, she sighed and continued, "Look, I'll bite you somewhere no one will notice, like your upper arm or your chest. I drink just enough to get us both high and then let you go before your heart slows."

His eyes squinted. "How do I know you won't kill me?"

She looked at him, up and down, saying, "Do you care if I do?" Then without waiting or caring about the answer, she said, "If I killed you, my boss would stake me so fast that I wouldn't have time to lick your blood from my fingers."

He took off his jacket. "Death is usually a decent incentive."

In one swift movement, she grabbed him and jerked him to the bed. She laid him on the bed and for the second time that night, he had a beautiful woman straddling his hips. "Leave it to me, baby. I know what you want. I know better than you do." She unbuttoned his shirt and at first nibbled at his neck. She licked him from his navel to the dip in his chest as she dug her hips into his. "Where do you want it, sweetie?"

He held her at the waist and squeezed. "Just above my heart."

She twisted her face into vampire form and broke the skin timidly at first, just to prepare him. When she heard him cry softly, a rush tingled up her spine and she bit deep into his chest. She sucked, moaning as the Vicodin in his blood began infiltrating her veins.

House arched his back and held on to her tightly as he gritted his teeth and felt the life pouring from his shell.

It was the greatest high he had ever known.

TBC


	14. Poetry and Holes

I know it's been forever…again…but this story has been one of the hardest for me to write for whatever reasons. Again, this is a longer chapter and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 14

Angel sat in his car outside of Allison's apartment for hours. Part of him still felt the need to protect her. Another part of him, one that made him afraid and self conscious, just wanted to be under her window, near her, thinking of her.

It had taken him years to fall in love with Cordelia Chase. That love was pure and honest, but it had been built on friendship. His love for Buffy was instant. The moment he saw her, his heart was hers. And although he knew he wasn't yet in love with Allison Cameron, he could feel his tether to the ground unraveling string by string.

He was sleepy and he knew that eventually he would have to move from this spot before the sun came up, but he couldn't force himself to put his key back in the ignition and turn it.

He sat there for a while more, his hands on the steering wheel until that tether tugged and completely snapped. Almost ripping the car door from its hinge, he leapt out of the car and slammed it shut. He bounded up the stairs and stood once again at the white door in the hallway. He stared at it, almost as if asking it for answers, knowing that he was about to do something he couldn't take back.

He opened the door slowly and shut it behind him. The apartment was dark, warm, inviting. From being there earlier that evening, he remembered where her bedroom was. He pushed back the thoughts that had he been here a hundred years ago, it would not have been to stare into her lovely face but to torment her. And that thought still tormented him.

Her bedroom door was open but no light was on. He slipped into the room and found a chair by her bed. He knew he was being slightly creepy, but he sat down and watched her sleep. She laid there, innocent, calm, beautiful, and he had the desire to draw her.

"What are you doing?"

The sudden noise in the still room made him jump. Embarrassed, he looked down. He mumbled, "Uh, I, well, I—"

"Come here," she said quietly, cutting him off. The look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know.

He stood, taking off his jacket and then sat down on her bed. Licking his lips, he took a breath and said, "We can't do this."

She sat up and put her hands on either side of his face. "Yes, we can. I don't want anything if I can't have you." She leaned close to him and kissed him softly on the lips. He let her mouth rest there, allowing his pain to escape from his soul. Then he put his hands on her waist, rubbing his thumbs against the friction of her cotton shirt.

"I want to," he whispered, his dark eyes burning into hers.

She slipped her hands underneath his shirt and lifted it over his abs and then his shoulders. "Then we have something in common," she said with a seductive smile.

He slipped her shirt off and ran his hands through her long, silky hair. Kissing her neck, he guided her back to the bed and ran a trail of kisses down to her navel.

She pushed the sheets and comforter out of their way. She slid her hands up and down his naked back until she reached the band of his pants and slipped her fingers beneath them. Her back arched as he nibbled at her flat stomach.

They whispered to each other and he sat back up on his knees fast enough to unbuckle his belt and push his pants down. She sucked in a breath as she saw him, all of him—honest, raw, pure.

He laid back over her and their hands bat at each other as they both shoved down her shorts. Then he kissed and nibbled at her hip and she moaned before he moved back up. He hovered over her face, feeling her hot breath on his face. Then he kissed her deeply, his tongue dipping and discovering.

They both cried softly as he entered her. She wrapped her long legs around his waist and sifted her fingers through his hair.

As they came close to the edge, she lifted herself to his ear and whispered, "Do you love me?"

It startled him into clearer focus and he pulled far enough away to look at her.

Then she smiled, fire in her eyes. "Is this blissful, baby?"

He scrambled away from her and fell out of the bed onto the floor.

The hard smack of the hardwood floor woke him up.

He was still in his car, his head resting against the back of the seat. Outside of Allison's apartment.

Looking out of the window, he noticed that the sun was about to rise. He put his car in drive and headed for the hotel that Keene had rented for them and Faith.

………………………………

Wilson knocked on the door. He was half-expecting for House not to answer.

House opened the door and walked back into the apartment, allowing Wilson to follow him. "What are you doing here, Romeo? I figured your legs would be too weak to move this morning."

Wilson's eyebrow cocked. "Well, you're in inappropriate form today. The way I hear it from Kate, it sounds like you're lucky to still be alive today."

"You must be talking about Faith," House said with a smile. He ran his hand across his chest, the bite still soar and open. "She is quite the limber gymnast, that one."

Wilson lay down on the couch and stretched his legs with a smile. "Actually I meant I'm surprised she didn't kill you. She's supposed to be in prison for life."

House shrugged. "Well, the girl certainly knows how to work off the pent up tension."

His friend's sharp eyes trained on his, his smile now gone. "What about your tension?"

House smiled wickedly as he twirled his cane. "I think that was taken care of last night."

Wilson glared back. "I don't mean tension that can be released with great sex."

Looking puzzled, House said, "You mean sex _can't _solve everything? Blasphemy."

Wilson sat up on the couch. "You've been depressed for nearly a decade and it's increasingly getting worse."

House's face lost all vestiges of playfulness, turning stone-like and taciturn. "I can still get hot chicks. I can't be that bad."

Wilson tilted his head to the side. "So making me lose my job twice, almost going to jail, turning away Cameron _and_ Stacy of all people, pretending to have brain cancer to get high and ostracizing every damn person that tries to get close to you isn't a cry for help?"

House cocked his chin up. "I haven't ostracized you."

Wilson scoffed. "It hasn't been for lack of trying. You're just lucky that I can put up with you."

House could feel heat tickling at his neck, anger teasing at his gut. "So what's your point?" he asked, his voice getting rougher, louder. "Why did you come this morning? To tell me how great your life is right now and how mine is a spiral of trash?"

Wilson shot off the couch. "Of course not. You know you need someone to tell you when you're slipping and I just happen to be the lucky bastard that won that lottery."

House shook his head. "I don't think so. You've finally found your Ophelia. The one woman that will be eternally fragile." House stepped closer, his eyes trained on Wilson's. "She is right? She has this need to be a cop in order to have authority in something where she's got no control of the rest of her life." He squinted and smiled faintly. "I bet she's got daddy issues. She's the one that will never become too independent for you, isn't she? It probably even turns you on a little that she's still in love with Angel."

For the first time, Wilson reacted without thinking. The months of disappointment and anger had built up until he swung back and hit House as hard as he could in the jaw. House fell back and hit the floor, grunting in pain as his tailbone hit the hard wood. Wilson shook his hand in pain, looking down at him.

Sick of being understanding, he spat out, "Bet that hurt. Take some Vicodin for it."

He turned and walked to the door.

It slammed shut, slicing the air.

…………………………………

Angel was asleep on the hotel bed, unaware of Keen in the shower. Faith opened the door, careful to slip in so that the sun wouldn't flood through the doorway and burn her boss.

She sat down on the bed, her hip next to his leg and smiled. In sleep was the only time he looked completely peaceful. And even in his sleep, the man could somehow still brood. She leaned over and said, "You still got a soul?"

He stirred and smiled back, saying wryly, "How easy do you think I am?"

She nudged his stomach with her elbow. "Apparently not as easy as me."

He looked at her with a smirk. "So I've smelled."

Her eyebrow cocked. "Okay, I never get tired of telling you how disturbing that certain talent is."

His lips turned softly. "It is kind of a creepy parlor trick, huh?"

She laughed. "Yeah, it is. But I can forgive that if you take a shower as soon as Keen gets out so that we can get out of here."

He looked away. With his common boyish denial, he said, "But we haven't seen Kate in a long time. Or Lorne. We should stay and visit."

"Stay and visit?" she scoffed. "You are the oldest person I know."

He mumbled, "That's not really my fault. I mean I can't help that everyone else I know is mortal…"

She continued, "The last time I saw Kate, she was arresting me for murder and wanted to fry you in a sunny jail cell. And the last time you saw Lorne, you had him kill someone."

He sat up. "But that was a long time ago," he said, squinting his face. "Time really does heal all wounds."

She folded her arms. "It's been over a hundred years and you're still dealing with the fact that you were evil and can't take back all of those things you did."

He threw his hands in front of him. "Look, I just want to stay for a while. What is there in Cleveland that's so important to get back to?"

"Um, bills for one. And, oh, yeah, they've got a Hell Mouth."

"We can fight the forces of evil here. Plus, there are Slayers everywhere now, so there's got to at least be a few near Cleveland that could cut down on the soulless population."

She stood up. "Okay, I'll stay. But if you turn into Angelus, I'm not going to be the one to explain it to Buffy."

He stuck his hand out and she shook it. "Deal." Then he looked at her with one eye. "But if I have to be taken out, you better do it this time. I don't really want to go to hell for a hundred years again."

Keen stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. "Why would you go to hell again?"

Faith opened a bag of chips on the table and put a few in her mouth. "Because he's going to screw that doctor and Buffy would stab him with another sword."

Angel adjusted his shirt as he stood up. "Nobody is going to be getting screwed or stabbed during this trip." He shrugged in thought. "Well, at least not anymore than we already have."

………………………………

Cameron stood in Aisle 3, staring at the various brands of spaghetti sauce. Her cart was nearly empty. Every time she tried to pick up an item, she couldn't make a choice. Her head hurt too much to make any other choices than the one that crashed about her head: should she be with Angel?

If the question was "Did she want Angel?" the immediate answer was yes. Physically, emotionally, spiritually she wanted all of him. She laughed at herself. She didn't believe in a god, so to use the word _spiritually _seemed silly. Maybe _soulfully_ was better. Because she knew he had a soul. He could lose it if they ever came together physically. She cursed the bad luck that fulfilling one desire would make the other impossible. If she had believed in god, she would have cursed his bad sense of humor.

Her thoughts wondered to the men in her life and from her past. She had loved her husband but was never really in love with him. Sex with him felt more perfunctory. Between the time of losing him and falling for House, she had sex with only one partner, a fellow med student when she was twenty-six. But that had lasted only nine months and sex with him became more about experiencing sex since she had so little of that before. She had wanted to sleep with House, share that one piece of herself that he hadn't touched, hadn't hurt. But now a part of her was glad that they never had because she knew that she would have been even more wounded he rejected her afterward.

Then came Chase. Chase had been another experiment. Unlike her husband, she was attracted to Chase physically instead of emotionally, but it was not an obligation. Med School Guy had been a relationship, too, but sex with Chase was just sex. She thought it would be freeing, but it had tied her down more than ever because of his feelings for her. Until he had dumped her. She had been surprised that he had, even hurt. Well, a hurt ego anyway. But now that she knew that he had been under a spell, she wondered if he still would have left her. Part of her was hoping that she'd never find out.

So that left Angel. She was the one man that blended all of those feelings she had together. She felt that she could very soon love and be in love with him. He seemed so easy to fall in love with, to follow. But she also wanted to give herself to him. She wanted to experiment with him emotionally and physically, something she had never really got to do with anyone.

She had never grown with anyone. Her own growth seemed stunted. But in reality, so did Angel's. Maybe they could grow together.

But what about the physical limitations? Could she be with him without ever making love to him? Could she wait until that day that he might become human?

Her body jerked from such a sudden reaction, that the cart banged against the spaghetti jars. She grabbed her purse from the basket and left the cart in the aisle as she hurried out of the store.

She needed to talk to Angel.

………………………………………..

Chase laid on his couch, his legs dangling over the side. He stared at the wall, contemplating counting the tiles. He felt dizzy as the spell was still wearing off.

But it was more than dizziness that kept him on the couch. A piece had been pulled out of his chest, and he wasn't sure how to get it back. The love he had felt for Cuddy was false, created by magic. But that spell had made him lose Cameron. He loved her. He knew that she didn't feel the same way, but now it did not even matter. He could see that her heart was tied to Angel's, not his.

With each breath he took, the hole got bigger. He laughed softly as he thought about his life. House always told them that _people lie_. But as he saw it, _people leave_. His father. His mother. Every friend and lover he had ever had. And now Cameron.

He knew that after a while, his feelings for Cameron would disappear, that the love would become a memory. But his fear was that the hole would only get wider as the years passed and more people left him.

He could heal someone lying in a hospital bed but he didn't know how to fix himself.

He raised his hand to look at his watch. He couldn't wait for Monday so that he could work.

…………………………

"Hey, man," Faith said, "we're going to dinner. You comin'?" Keen stood behind her and they stared at Angel expectantly.

Angel sat on the bed, his legs stretched out, a book sitting on his lap. His mouth opened before words could stumble out. "Uh, no, I think I'll stay here. I'm not really hungry. And you know, most restaurants don't really sell blood."

Faith smiled and hit his foot, saying, "Yeah, I hope she comes by, too."

About fifteen minutes after they left, he was trying to focus on the book. When he heard a knock, he nearly flew to the door. He took a second to look cool before he opened the door. His chest came back as if holding a nervous breath. Looking down at Cameron, he said, "Hi."

She smiled and looked down at the button in the middle of his shirt. "Hi." She wasn't sure how to start, and seeing the book in his hand, she asked, "So you like to read?"

He looked down at his hands. "Oh, yeah. I like to be by myself and read sometimes." His eyes scrunched as he said, "I kind of brood."

She laughed softly. "Well, I've been known to be petulant every now and then."

He smiled back. "That's why I brood. It prevents the petulance."

She stepped closer unconsciously. "Maybe I should try it sometime." Leaning over, she asked, "So what book are you reading?"

"It's poetry." He shrugged. "I'm old."

Her eyebrows rose. "Hey, there's going to be a great poetry reading tonight from a wonderful new poet. Would you like to go?"

His face went deadpan. "Right now?"

She nodded. "Maybe we can talk on the way."

Once in the car, Cameron took a deep breath and melted into the passenger seat as she said, "I want you."

He almost drove into a row of parked cars, then jerked the steering wheel back. He looked over at her. "What?"

"I want all of you."

His eyes kept to the road this time as he almost whispered, "I told you that's not possible."

"The physical is just a part of a relationship. I don't need to have sex with you to have all of you. If you feel the same way, I want all of your mind, your thoughts, your soul."

He pulled the car over in front of a bookstore. With one hand on the wheel, he shifted to face her. "Why?"

Her brow furrowed. "Why what? Why would I want to be with you?" When he nodded, she said, "You're so good and strong. But you still need someone, Angel, and I want to be that person that you need."

He leaned over and just above her lips, he whispered, "You are." His lips brushed over hers and she lifted her hands to the back of his head. His tongue slipped into her mouth, causing her to moan and run her fingers through his hair. She threw herself into the kiss, both of them going back and forth in a rhythm.

"Angel?"

He kissed her underneath her earlobe. "Yeah," he panted.

"We're missing the poetry reading."

He pulled away from her and got out of the car. He smiled down at her as he opened the door for her. They held hands as they walked into the store and sat down in the back.

Before they had time to look up, the crowd was clapping for the last poem. The poet said, "Thank you very much. The next poem is called 'For Cecily.'"

Angel's head jerked up. "This is not happening," he muttered.

Cameron looked up at him, her eyebrow cocked. "What's wrong?"

He looked straight ahead to the poet. "Him. He's always been wrong."

She looked at the man and then back at Angel. "You know him? You know William Travers."

He smirked. "That hasn't been his name for years. His name is Spike."

After the reading, Angel and Cameron went up to Spike.

"So this is what you're doing with your newfound humanity?" Angel said with a raised eyebrow.

Spike said, "This coming from the man that sits in a corner and draws his girlfriends." He tilted his head and smiled, saying, "Oh, wait, you're not a man are you, Angel?"

Angel smiled. "Being human doesn't make you a man, Spike. And I've got to tell you that hair looks silly now, Blondie-Bear."

"It gives me edge."

Angel laughed. "It gives Billy Idol edge."

Spike's eyes bulged. "He stole his look from me!"

Angel scoffed. "Twenty-five years ago. It's time to get a new look, Robert Frost."

"And what about you, Captain Forehead? How much hair product do you have to use to keep it up like that?"

"At least I don't have a mirror to look into every day. Seriously, Spikey, do you giggle each morning."

Spike looked over at Cameron. "Buffy know about the new girl?"

Cameron stuck out her hand. "I'm Allison Cameron. You're a great poet."

Spike glanced over at Angel with a cocky smile. "Thank you. I try my best."

She looked between the two rivals. "How do you know each other?"

Angel said, "We ran in the same circles."

Spike said, "We were vampires. Some of us still are." His voice lilted up and Angel knew he was about to say something that would piss him of. "And we have this terrible habit of loving the same women." He leaned closer to her, his lips slightly apart. "How long have you known Angel?"

She looked him in the eye. "Long enough to know that your 'terrible habit' won't happen this time."

Spike's voice dipped down playfully. "I like this girl, Angel. She's almost as sassy as the Slayer."

Angel's cell phone went off and a few minutes later, Cameron's pager was buzzing.

Angel flipped open the phone and said, "Hello?"

Faith was out of breath. "Angel, you need to get to the hospital right now."

He turned away from Spike and Cameron. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Faith's voice was shaky. "It's Keen. He collapsed and started seizing."

Angel spun back and looked at Cameron. "We'll be right there."

TBC


	15. Blood and Violence

Chapter 15

Wilson was putting ice on his hand when he heard a knock at his door. "Now's not the time, House," he said as he opened the door.

The flash in his eyes warmed to affection when he saw that it was Kate. "Hi," he said, stepping back to let her in.

She smiled and said hello, then pecked him on the lips. Looking down at his hand, she asked, "What happened? Was it vampires?"

He grinned at the concern in her voice. He shook his head. "No. Kind of wish it had been. I hit House."

Setting down her purse on an end table, she asked, "I thought you two were close."

He put his hands on either side of her waist and pulled her to him. "I think that maybe we're too close."

She slid her hands to his neck and played with a tuft of his messy hair. "Is everything going to be okay?"

He tilted his head and looked down, focusing on the dip between her collar bones. "I don't know. I'm just so tired of trying to save him. Or stop him. Or just even hold him back."

She snuggled closer and said, "Maybe you'd both be happier if you stopped trying to be his savior."

Holding her tight, he rubbed his cheek against her hair. "Maybe I need to try harder."

………………………………

When Cuddy could not sleep or was bored or lonely, she would come to her office and stare at reports, files, and budget plans.

She sat there now, looking at the stack of new complaint forms sent on behalf of Gregory House. Chuckling, she wondered how much time she could save if she didn't have to read documents about House.

She knew he was unhappy. He was slowly killing himself on Vicodin and bitterness. Sometimes she wondered if it wouldn't be better for everyone if she fired him, force him to change.

Her thoughts drifted to Giles. He was everything she had dreamed about since she was a little girl. Well, okay, maybe she didn't dream about a nerdy librarian with a tendency to stutter. And in college, she had had the taste for bad boys. But at her age now she realized what was really important. She wanted a sweet, kind man that was educated and thoughtful and did something important with his life. But his life was in Europe. And hers was in Jersey. They both saved lives but in very different ways. Did she really want to open her heart only to break it in two?

Putting her head on her desk, she groaned loudly. She was too tired to think about all of it now.

"Lisa?"

She froze as if her skin had been glued to the desk. She immediately recognized the British accent and was embarrassed by her unfeminine moan. She didn't want to lift her head from the desk. But taking a deep breath, she slowly looked up and relaxed back into her chair. "Hello, Rupert. I didn't hear you knock."

He smiled and looked down at the floor boyishly. He didn't want to tell her that she couldn't have heard the knock over the loud noise she had made. "I'm a terribly soft knocker. I can't seem to break the habit." _Soft knocker? _he winced as he admonished himself.

"Is something wrong?" she said, standing up.

His eyebrows raised, he shook his head. "No, no." He looked as if he wanted to say more but didn't.

She squinted at him with a half smile. "Oh."

He breathed deep. Buffy had told him a long time ago how to ask a woman on a date. He wondered with her track record why he would listen to her, but he stepped closer to Cuddy and said, "Well, I, uh, well I feel something…and I was wondering if you, well if you feel something. And, and, if you do, would you like to get Mexican?"

She smiled broadly. She had had some odd ask outs before but none quite like that. All of her worries were temporarily forgotten. Stepping even closer to him, she said, "La Familia Suarez is a great restaurant down the street. Tomorrow at 7:00?"

He laughed softly as he smiled back, in that very Giles way to do. "Yes, yes, okay."

She walked over to her door and opened it. "I'll meet you here, then?"

He sheepishly followed her, his head down. "That will be fine, good."

She let him out of the office and shut the door behind her, locking it. "I should really be getting home now. It seems I have to get to this hospital earlier and earlier every morning."

Giles was about to respond when House limped by. They stopped to stare at him.

"House, what are you doing here?" She nearly sighed. Being around him was becoming a chore and exhausting.

House's brow furrowed and he tapped his cane on the tile floor. "Cuddy, are you having sex in your office again? How many sexual harassment suits will have to be filed against you before you stop this destructive behavior?"

She just stared at him, a shaped eyebrow cocked.

He let out a breath and said, "Mr. Forever-Fangful's sidekick—the one that's not hot—collapsed. Apparently there's no explanation as to why."

Cuddy stepped closer to House. "Okay, let's go."

House did a fake double take, making a dumb face. "Now you want to help me diagnose a patient?"

She stood up straight, her shoulders back. "Foreman is…gone. Cameron is still reeling from almost being turned into a vampire. And Chase is still loopy from the spell. I'm the only team you've got."

House stepped closer to her until his face was inches from hers. "Well, we might as well pull the plug now."

Giles stood back and watched it all happen. Cameron and Angel raced into the hospital, stopping when they saw Cuddy, Giles, and House. "I'm here," she said. "What do we know?"

House ignored Cameron's question and looked at Cuddy. "See? I don't need a team. I have Cameron."

Cuddy rolled her eyes and Cameron wrinkled her nose. "Is that a compliment? I can't tell anymore."

"I'm coming anyway," Cuddy said.

Spike strolled into the hospital.

Giles' eyes bugged. "Spike! What in the hell are you doing here?"

Spike looked around with a smug smile. He may have had a soul now, but he had not changed all that much. "Met poncey-boy here at my poetry reading. Thought I'd follow'm here and steal his girlfriend from him again."

Angel spun and waved a pointed finger in Spike's face. "You're the one writing poetry and I'm the ponce?"

He cocked his head. "It's cool to be a poet. You get laid." He looked over at Cameron with a heated smile. "A lot. And I already got laid a lot before."

Angel scoffed. "Please, the only women you've slept with in the last two centuries were a nutcase, an airhead, and a Slayer who let you burn to death in the Hellmouth. And I'm pretty sure you were a virgin when you were human."

Spike squinted. "She may have let me die, but she killed you."

Angel stepped dangerously closer, clinching his jaw. "She felt bad enough about it to run away for three months. When you died, she took a vacation to Europe. And she's still there."

Cameron looked up at Angel with a scowl. Quietly, she said, "You're always talking about this woman."

Angel glared at Spike and then looked down at Cameron. "I'm sorry. It doesn't really mean anything. Spike just can't get over the past."

Spike scoffed, telling Cameron, "Sorry, love, but no matter how much you sleep with him, he'll always be thinking about Buffy." He paused glibly and then added, "Oh, wait, you can't have sex. No matter how much frustrated go-nowhere foreplay you have, you'll never get him to stop loving Buffy."

Before Angel or Cameron could respond, Chase walked through the door. The growing group looked at him collectively. He stopped, blinked at the motley crew, and said, "Got the page. Why are we all still down here?"

Cuddy stepped away from the crowd. "Dr. Chase, if you're still too groggy from…the spell, House, Cameron, and I can handle this case."

Chase was about to shake his head in protest when Faith walked down the stairs. "No." She stood firm, her arms to her side. "This is Keen, Angel. I want all of the doctors we can get to figure this out."

Angel nodded his head and said to the doctors, "I agree. Do whatever you need to do."

House spun his cane, saying to Faith, "This is really about how you want as many people between us as possible in order to alleviate the awkward sexual tension, right?"

Taking a step closer, she looked him up and down, but the look was anything but sexual. "Get this straight. I'll play with you until it gets serious. And right now it's serious. Angel and Keen's the only family I got. And I'm not losing any family on this trip. So leave the banter and the sexual innuendos at home until you fix my friend. You do that and we've got no problems."

He squinted, assessing her. He knew she was serious. But he wasn't going to lose ground or face to anyone, especially not in his hospital. "Okay, I'll play it straight," he said with a blank face. "But you have to point those boobs somewhere else or we'll really have a problem."

Her voice dangerously dropped until it was even raspier and rolled like summer thunder. "This is the kind of humor that I'm not laughing at."

He guffawed. "Didn't you watch _Patch Adams_? Everybody needs a little humor with patient care. It'll make him aw bedder," he said in baby talk.

Her hand went around his neck before he had time to even see it. Almost just as quickly, Angel was at their side, trying to pull her away. But Slayers are slightly stronger than vampires and it was to no avail.

Faith squeezed her fingers tighter into his throat. "I've got two modes: hurting someone and not hurting someone. I can usually control my murderous tendencies but that doesn't mean I'm all Zen about it."

House, again without the ability to resist, squeaked out, "If you kill me, who's going to fix your friend?"

Without letting go, she looked over at Chase. "Something tells me Pretty-as-a-picture over there could do a hell of a job. Hunky, sensitive, and yet oh so smart. Am I right?"

Now Spike was trying to get her off of him as well. Angel said, "Faith, let him go. This isn't helping."

At Angel's words, she eased away. But she never took her eyes off House. "Just because I slept with you doesn't mean I wouldn't kill you. The only two people I can't kill is standing next to me and lying in a hospital bed. So, are you going to get to work?"

House refrained from rubbing his neck, but he was going to take a vicodin as soon as he had a chance. Without taking his eyes from Faith, he said, "Cameron, Chase, Cuddy—white board in ten minutes."

They all nodded. Cameron and Chase left immediately with Spike and Angel following them.

Cuddy approached Faith. Anxiously, Giles stood next to her, afraid of what Faith might do. Cuddy said, "I appreciate your concern about your friend, but I cannot have violence as I just saw in my hospital again."

Faith looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Then you better start running your hospital right, huh?" She turned and bounded up the stairs.

Once again, Cuddy and Giles were left in the lobby. With a boyish smile, he said, "So, see you at 7:00 tomorrow, then?"

She smirked at his unexpected humor and laughed loudly. "Yes, I'll see you then."

……………………

"Okay, so what do we know, people?" House asked, his marker in his hand.

Cameron, Cuddy, and Chase listed several symptoms and possible causes.

Chase gave the most plausible and creative theory.

House nodded. He hadn't thought of it. He hadn't been in the ballpark of thinking of it. "I like it. Go figure out if you're right."

Cameron and Chase left to do the tests, leaving Cuddy and House in the room.

"Are you all right?" Cuddy said, her legs crossed.

"Why? Are you thinking of finally ravaging me? The kiddies will be gone for a while, but it'll still probably have to be a quickie if we do it right here."

"I've known you for a long time, House. You're agitated, introverted, and you seem depressed."

Cocking his eyebrow, he said, "Are you sure you've met me?"

She rolled her eyes. "I mean more than usual, you ass. Did something happen lately?"

"You mean other than Cameron getting kidnapped by vampires?"

Cuddy bolted from her chair and stood in front of him, her chin jutted. "Did something happen to _you_? You look pale, sweaty," she said, putting her hand to his neck, "and your pulse is rapid. What the hell is going on?"

His eyes trained on hers. "The hell is that I've got a patient who's dying and my boss who forced herself onto my team to be helpful would rather stand here and grope at my neck. Now do the job you volunteered yourself for or get out of my department."

She walked to the door and turned around. Her shoulders were square and her jaw set. "House, you've been slipping for a while now. Whatever your personal problems are, they're affecting your job. It's coming to the point where you're no longer the best doctor I've got."

……………………………..

"Why are you still here, Spike?" Angel asked on a sigh, resting his head on the waiting room wall, his long legs stretched out in front of him. Faith sat next to him, fidgeting.

He ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Well, someone has to be the comic relief for the likes of you two. Plus, I haven't seen to birds in this town near as pretty as those two doctors working on your friends."

"You mean Cuddy and Chase?" Angel said dryly.

Spike smirked. "Scowl all you want, my friend. I could steal away that doe-eyed girl of yours with one smile."

Angel grunted and readjusted his feet. "Please, you might have wooed Buffy during a psychologically weak moment, but no girl that's not depressed, stupid, or crazy would ever find you charming, Spike."

"If you two don't shut up, I will break this chair in two and stake you." Faith put her head down, her brown hair curling around her face. The vampires muttered apologies as Cameron came up to them. Faith's head popped up, her hair swishing from her face. "What's going on?"

Cameron's mouth made a straight line. She was in "family" mode, the way she talked to the patient's loved ones. "I'm sorry, we don't know much right now. We're going to give him an MRI and some other tests. We should know something soon."

The group nodded. Cameron pulled Angel away. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm a lot better than Keen right now," he said, then smiled, "but thanks for asking."

Persistent, she said, "Having a friend in the hospital can be difficult."

His voice got quiet, still, old. "When everyone you know and love dies year after year, you get kind of used to it."

She pulled away, her eyes flashing hurt and confused. "Is that how you see humans? We just leave you and you don't care?"

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "I miss my friends when they're gone, but I expect it." He came closer to her, his spiked hair brushing hers as their foreheads touched. "If you were gone, I'd care."

She smiled and rubbed her thumb across his wrist. "I'd care, too."

He kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "Now go fix my friend."

She chuckled but as she pulled away from him, her face became serious again. "I will try my best to help him, Angel."

He smiled. "I know."

…………………………………

House stood on the balcony looking at the city lights. Cuddy's final words rang in his ears like bad notes picked from a guitar.

He was no longer the best doctor in the hospital.

He pretended it didn't bother him but he knew that it did. Like a parasite, it wormed through his gut, it infected him—the thought that Chase's thought process had been miles ahead of him tonight.

If he was really honest with himself, Chase had been ahead of him for a few months now. Chase was continually solving cases and becoming more and more confident in differentials.

And now Wilson was finally growing up and realizing that their boys-only clubhouse was unhealthy and less fun than an actual relationship.

More and more as he looked at the lights twinkling back at him, none of this felt much like home anymore.

The one thing that held felt right in the longest time was feeling his blood rush and pump and flow through his skin to the vampire's mouth.

TBC


	16. Confessions

Chapter 16

Faith sat at Keen's bedside. The doctors were still running tests and Angel had went down to the machines to find her some food.

She looked down at Keen's sleeping body. He had not woken up since he had collapsed. He looked peaceful, still, not the agile geek who was not only handy with a laptop but also a stake. She much preferred the active Keen to this still one. She wanted to see him laughing again, excited about a research project, the gleam in his eyes from slaying a demon.

Besides Angel, he was her only friend. And he was the only other man she had not slept with. She had known him for three years, really got to know him. He hadn't tried to sleep with her. He had actually rejected her when she offered him sex, telling her that he wanted to kill demons and meaningless sex would make running Angel Investigations harder. She had known that he was right.

And now, three years later, she loved him for it.

She wanted to reach up and hold his hand, but she was afraid. She typically put people in the hospital, not cared for them there. And she was afraid that if he somehow knew how she felt, that he would reject her again.

Instead, she took a band from her wrist and used it to put her hair up in a ponytail. Then, leaning over, she whispered, "Get better, damn it."

……………………………

"So, what's going on with you and Angel?" Chase asked as he looked at the MRI.

Cameron squirmed. "Do you really want to know?"

His thoughts flashed to their short-lived fling. It hurt, but sitting in silence in the tiny room, her body close to his where he could hear her breathe, that hurt even more. "Yeah, I want to know."

She was quiet for a moment, and then said, "I really like him. I'm sorry if that bothers you."

He looked over at her and smiled. "I know you are, but it's okay. We weren't supposed to happen. We never were." It became still again, so he asked, "So if it gets serious, what are you going to do?"

The back of her neck blushed hot. She hoped he didn't know that she had been thinking about sex. "What do you mean?"

He cocked his head. "I mean, are you going to leave with him? Is he going to stay here? Do you never plan to get married or have kids?"

She blinked. She hadn't thought about any of that. "I don't know. We've just started…"

"When he gets his friend fixed, they'll be ready to leave." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Just protect yourself, okay?"

She smiled at his kindness. She really had misunderstood him for so long. "Okay."

"Oh my—" Chase started.

"What?" Cameron asked, following his eyes to the computer screen.

"I found it. I know why he's sick. I was right."

…………………………………

The doctors stood outside Keen's room in front of Angel and Faith. Chase took command and said, "Keen has a tumor in his brain. We almost didn't catch it."

Cameron followed up. "It's dangerous if not dealt with, but it's operable. He's booked for an OR in two hours."

Faith shook her head in disbelief. "That's it? You find it and cut it out and he's okay?"

Cuddy nodded. "It will take him a while to recover, but yes, he should be absolutely fine if all goes well."

House turned and said, "Great, we're all going well. I'll just limp over to a good bar now."

Faith went up to House and stopped him by holding his arm. "House, I want to thank you for helping him."

He looked at her pained and harsh, then looked over at Chase. "Thank _him_. He's your golden boy."

They watched him leave and then turned back, forming a circle to ask more questions about the surgery and his condition.

House could hear the excited murmur as he got on the elevator and pushed the down button with his cane.

……………………………

"What aren't you telling me?" Angel asked as they sat once again in the waiting room while Keen was in surgery. Spike was off flirting with nurses, so Angel and Faith were alone.

Faith stretched her arms to her ankles and yawned. "About what?"

He looked at her tiredly. "Faith, I've always been able to read you. I never know what's going on with anyone else, but I know when something's happening to you."

She smiled and turned her head to look at him, her chin resting on her shoulder. "That's true. You can always read me. And it's annoying as hell, man."

He threw his head back and laughed softly. "You can be annoying, too. Like when you don't want to talk to me."

Her back and shoulders tensed up. "I'm worried about Keen."

"I know you're not used to sickness."

She looked away. "No, I mean I'm _worried_ about _Keen_."

His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to understand until the words began to make sense. His eyes bulged when realization struck. "Oh." He paused and then said, "Does he know?"

She put her hands on her thighs and rubbed her legs up and down. "No, and I don't know if I want to tell him."

Cordelia Chase's fast flashed through his mind. He had waited too late to tell her how he felt and he never really got the chance before she died. "Tell him. We're in a hospital, Faith. This should remind you how easily we all go before we can tell each other how we feel."

She looked at him again. "Are you gettin' sappy on me?" They laughed and then sat in silence for a while. She asked, "So what about you and the doctor?"

He leaned over, putting his elbows on his knees. "I don't know. I like her, but I don't know if I should stay here."

Resting back, she said, "You know me, Angel. I'm not a girl who thinks glass half full, but if it's supposed to happen, the Powers will make it happen, yeah?"

He smiled. "Yeah, and for you too."

………………………

The hooker wiped the blood from her lip and licked it off her thumb. "Was it good for you, too, baby?"

House's head laid on the satin-covered pillow, his eyes closed and he tried to regain his breath. "Yeah, magical. I love being someone's meal."

Her face changed from vamp back to human. "Screw you, pal. You pay for this. You know you love it."

"I love not being in pain." That was true. Every time the vampire drank from him, he couldn't feel his leg throb and ache.

"Is that why you come here?" she asked, sitting on the bed next to his leg. "To stop your leg from hurting?"

"And for the stimulating conversation." He traced the bite on his chest with his finger. His eyes were still closed.

Her nose wrinkled. "You know, if you weren't a client, I'd eat you for real."

He opened his eyes then. "What's it like?"

She flipped her hair as she turned to look down at him. "What? To turn?" He nodded. Smiling, she said, "It hurts at first because your life is leaving you, but right when you hit the brink and your toes dangle of the cliff, damn it feels good." Her eyes rolled back in her head as she remembered. She seductively traced her finger across her chest, saying, "Then the vampire cuts herself and puts your lips to hers and you drink. And that first taste of blood—that's the best blood you'll ever taste."

"Do you miss being human?"

She laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "I think some vamps do, but not me. I was a loser when I was human."

He cocked an eyebrow. "You're a hooker now…"

Her face tensed. "I get paid to eat and I might get hunted by the cops but it's better than getting hunted by a Slayer. I'd say I'm pretty well off, honey."

He sat up and rubbed his leg. "Yeah, you've got the great life."

……………………………

Keen was awake and talking. Angel visited for a while and then left him with Faith to go with Cameron.

"How do you feel?" Faith stood at his side, fidgeting with her hands.

He chuckled. "Like someone played around in my brain and then gave me drugs," he said, lifting up his button for his morphine drip.

She smiled. "Well, overall, sounds like a pretty average day."

He clicked his drip button. "For us anyway."

"Cameron said you should be able to go back home by next week."

He nodded. "Where's home now? Are we staying here?"

Shrugging, she said, "Dunno. Cleveland just doesn't really feel right, does it?"

He laid his head back on the pillow. "Maybe we can go to LA."

Her forehead wrinkled. "You know Angel doesn't want to go back there."

He shifted in the bed. "Are you always going to follow Angel?"

"What are you saying? You wantin' to leave without him?"

He looked her in the eye, his dark eyes questioning hers. "No, I'm asking _you _if you're always going to stay with Angel."

Her mouth opened and shut, words failing to come out. She wasn't sure what to say. "I don't know. Truth is, I've never stayed with anyone." They stopped talking for a few minutes. Finally she asked, "So what about you? Is there anyone you would follow?"

He fidgeted with his sheet. "Not sure. No one's ever asked me to before."

Her heart never pounded harder, not even while fighting a nest of vamps. Her throat starting to close, she took a quick breath, blinked, and decided to say, "What if I did?"

His black curls flopped as he looked up at her. "What if you did what?"

She gritted her teeth. "What if I asked you to follow me?"

He tried to sit up but started to feel dizzy. "Are we having the same conversation?"

She let out a gust of air. "Damn, I hope so."

"This isn't just sex?"

She shook her head.

"Do you want to have a relationship with me?" Keen clicked his morphine drip again.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "That depends."

"On what?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I'm not going to say it first, man, if you don't want it."

"I do."

His answer was so quiet and simple that she was shocked and confused. "You do what?"

He took a breath. "I want it to. The more than sex."

Without being able to stop herself, she asked, "Why?"

"Because you walked into the darkness and you came back out. You're a fighter, Faith, and not just with your fists. You've never had anyone tell you that they love you and mean it, not even your mother. And I want to be that person for you."

Tears stung at her eyes. "I know we're going to wait on the sex part, but can I kiss you now?"

He smiled and she bent down and for the first time, their lips touched.

…………………………………

The next morning, Wilson decided to drive to House's apartment and ask him if he wanted a ride to work. He knocked on the door for around five minutes until he decided to give up. Checking to see if his motorcycle was gone, he saw that it was.

Once at work, he stopped in at House's office. Chase was the only one there.

"Is House in?" Wilson asked, propping the door open with his hand.

Chase sat behind House's desk. "Not yet. And Cameron asked for the day off."

Wilson's lip jutted out. "Then what are you doing here?"

Chase fidgeted with the folders in his hand. "Thought I might as well start looking at resumes for Foreman's position. We need someone and House will take forever hiring someone."

Wilson nodded. "Could you have him call me when he gets in?"

Chase agreed.

But House never called. He never showed up.

…………………………

Cameron and Angel sat on the floor, their backs resting on Cameron's couch. She looked at the clock on the wall. "It's 9:00 in the morning," she said on a laugh.

Angel smiled. "We talked all night."

She stretched, her arms going over her head, her chest rising and falling as she rested again. "And I know so much more about you now, like that your name was Liam before you became a vampire."

He rested his elbow on his bended knee and raised his hand to rub the back of his head. "Your first dog was named Dr. Quinn."

She leaned closer to him and grinned. "Your first kiss was in your father's horse stable when you were sixteen. With your forty year old neighbor."

He nodded. "Yes. And your mother had to cut your hair to an inch long when your brother cut half of it off when you were sleeping."

"And you had long hair and went to Barry Manilow concerts." Her green eyes flirted playfully.

He leaned closer to her until they were only about half a foot apart. They had spent all night just talking and eating, but now they were getting closer and closer without realizing it. "That is one piece of information you can forget."

She shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure I'll remember that forever."

His voiced dropped lower and he quietly said, "Now I need to know something incriminating about you."

Her lips curled up and without restraint, she said, "Well, right now, I'm getting terribly seduced by a handsome vampire."

"Yeah?" he asked with a smile and when she nodded, he lifted his hand to her neck, her hair brushing across it. He closed the gap between them and kissed her lightly. She moaned softly when she grazed her tongue across his lips. His hands slid down and wrapped around her waist. Her hands grabbed at his black sweater as they lost themselves in the still room.

He nipped and sucked and licked at her lips until they were both groaning. She pulled him down until her back touched the carpet. His hands slipped underneath her shirt, his thumbs rubbing against her flat stomach. His finger dipped into her navel and her back arched as he tickled and caressed. She lifted her head up, her hair swaying behind her, and she kissed his neck.

"Allison," he whispered.

At the sound of her voice, she tensed up and crawled from beneath him. "We can't do this. I can't—this is crazy."

He backed away from her, blinking back into reality. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "I was wrong. I can't be with you without wanting this. Wanting you."

"But we didn't do anything."

She let out a breath of air. "But we were going to. You know we were. And after tonight I realized that I can't know you without wanting all of you."

He looked down at the carpet. "I know."

She stood up and walked to the door. "I really like you, Angel, but I can't do this. I'm sorry."

He followed her to the door, his jacket in his hand. "I'm sorry, too."

When he walked out, she shut the door behind him.

She sat on the floor, her back to the door, and cried.

……………………………

"How long have you been a Watcher?" Cuddy asked as she picked up a taco.

Giles fidgeted with his fork and looked around the Mexican restaurant. "It was a birth rite actually. But I didn't actually become a Watcher until I was about 25."

"Did you always want to do it?"

He laughed softly. "No, no. I rebelled for several years. I wanted to be a rock star or pilot."

Her stunning blue eyes looked into his. "Are you happy?"

He smiled shyly. "Relatively speaking, yes. As much as any adult could be I imagine."

She chuckled. "That's not exactly an optimistic answer."

He lifted his chin. "And you? Are you happy?"

She smiled coyly. "Relatively speaking." As they became quiet, she grew serious. "I love my work, but it's all I am."

This time, his striking blue eyes looked at hers. "Believe me, I understand."

She shook her head, her black curls falling softly across her face. "I haven't felt this comfortable in a long time."

He put his fork on his plate. "In my line of work, I don't feel comfortable too often, but I do right now."

……………………………

Kate and Wilson came back to the hotel room from dinner holding hands. They stopped in the hallway when they saw the door was open.

"Maybe we should get the manager," Wilson said.

"Maybe you should stop being a coward and come in," the voice said from inside the room.

Wilson rolled his eyes, pushing the door open. "House, why do you feel the need to break into my room?" 

House had his back to them when he said, "I guess I'm just evil that way."

Kate walked over to get a glass of water from the kitchenette and Wilson sat down on the couch. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "I've been trying to find you all day."

"I've been soul searching." He walked to the window and looked out at the sparkling city lights.

"Did you find what you're looking for?" Wilson asked as he looked over at Kate, smiling. Wilson had found it.

House finally turned around and looked at his friend. "I think so."

Wilson's brow furrowed. Something wasn't right. "Where's your cane?"

House looked down at his hands. "Now that's weird," he said in fake wonder. "I know I walked out of the house with it last night."

Wilson cocked his head. "You never went home last night? Did you meet someone?"

House ignored the question. "Are you hungry?"

Shaking his head, he said, "No, we just ate. Are you hungry?"

"I could eat."

Kate listened to the conversation as she drank her water, her back to the counter. She had only met House a few times, but he did not seem to be acting right at all. She nearly dropped her glass when he walked by the mirror.

House had no reflection.

She looked from him to Wilson. If she said anything now, she would not have time to make it to Wilson before House got to him first and Wilson did not have a weapon. She picked up her purse from the table and walked over to Wilson. In one solid, swift movement, she took the gun and stake from her purse and pointed both at House, the purse falling to the ground.

"What the hell is going on?" Wilson asked, bolting out of his seat.

Never taking her eyes off House, she quickly handed Wilson the stake and kept the gun pointed at House. "He's a vampire, James. He has no reflection."

Wilson smirked. "That's impossible. He walked in here without an invitation."

"It's a hotel room. He doesn't need an invitation."

House stepped closer. "The girl is smart, Jimmy. A definite keeper."

Tears stung at Wilson's eyes. "House, what did you do?" He shouted now, "What did you _do_?"

He smiled and opened his arms wide. "I finally found the right pain management plan." He stepped closer again. "I'm strong. I have no pain. I can run on this leg again," he said, his voice thick as he slapped the leg. "The muscle's still gone, but now I'm too strong for it to even matter."

Wilson shook his head. "I can't let you stay like this," he said in a whisper, squeezing the stake in his hand.

"Yes, you can," House said seductively. "Join me, Jimmy. We can be blood brothers. Forever."

Kate scoffed. "Do you know how cheesy that sounded? Even for newly found evil."

House looked over at Wilson. "I don't have to turn her, too, do I?"

Wilson stood firmly now, raising the stake. "House, I'm going to give you once chance to get out of here now. I won't give you that opportunity again."

Kate's eyes flitted to Wilson and then back to House. "James, what the hell are you doing? We need to stake the bastard."

Quietly, Wilson said, "No."

House nodded and backed away from them until he found the hotel door. "I'll catch you later."

…………………………

House sat at a bar, pouting in his beer. He had been so excited to show Wilson how happy he was now. Isn't that what Wilson's been bitching to him about for years now: to get happy?

He had been undead for a few hours now and he was starving. He still hadn't eaten yet. He had hoped that his first would be Wilson, but he had screwed that up.

A sweet perfume tickled at his nose. His new senses were amazing. Spinning on the barstool, he saw a young, pretty blond sitting with three friends. He smiled at her and she smiled back. They looked at each other for about a minute before he gestured with a shake of his head to meet her outside.

He waited outside and when she stepped out of the door, she turned to him and said, "I don't usually follow strangers out of bars, but you looked special."

He raised his eyebrows. "Believe me, you have no idea." He took her hand and led her to the side of the building. He pushed her hard into brick wall.

She tried to pull away. "Hey, that hurt!"

He repeated, "You have no idea." He bent down and bit at her neck, clasping his hand over her mouth to muffle her cries.

When her heart stopped beating, he let her fall to the ground. The bright moon lit his back as he walked away from her.

TBC


	17. Solutions

Chapter 17

Kate watched as Wilson poured through books and websites at the kitchen table. "James, what are you doing? We have to find House."

Wilson shook his head. "I won't let it end like this. I won't let him do this."

Kate sat down next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Baby, it's done. I'm so sorry, but you lost him."

Without looking up, Wilson scoffed. "This coming from the woman who's best friend is a vampire."

She let out a breath, wounded. "Angel's an exception, and I'm not the one that should be getting attacked here."

Wilson looked up. "You're right."

"I am?"

"Yes, Angel's an exception."

Her jaw dropped. "That wasn't really my point."

Wilson waved his hand at her. "Would you do me a favor? You need to call Cuddy, Chase, and Cameron right now. They're in my address book. They need to know."

She stood up. "Okay." When she reached the phone, she asked, "I think I should call Angel, too."

He looked up at her, pleading. "Please, not yet."

…………………………..

Cuddy jumped at the sound of the ringing telephone. She rolled over in bed and flipped on the light.

The movement startled Giles who mumbled, "I assure you, madam, that I did not put the newt eyes next to the sage."

"Rupert, wake up," Cuddy said, nudging him. Picking up the phone, she said, "Hello?" She listened to the other end. "No, you must be joking." A pause. "No, you're wrong." Another pause. "What do you need me to do?"

Kate answered, "Just stay safe and don't invite him into your home. And I'm not trying to be crude, but as Dean of the hospital, you will have to explain Dr. House's disappearance."

Cuddy's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "His disappearance?"

Kate waited to answer. "There won't be a body."

"Oh," she said quietly. Tears burst from her eyes. "Thank you Detective Lockley. Please tell Wilson that I will contact him tomorrow," she said and hung up the phone.

Giles reached over to the table and put on his glasses. "What's wrong, Lisa?"

Instead of answering, she rolled over into his side, her head in the crook of his shoulder. She let the tears fall onto his bare skin.

……………………………

Cameron knocked hard on the door. When Angel answered, she sighed in relief. "You're still here."

He put his hand on the door, saying, "Yeah, I'm here."

She shifted her weight. "I need help."

"What's wrong?"

She looked down at her feet and then back up at him. "House is a vampire. Wilson let him go."

He grabbed his jacket from by the door and shut it as he walked out. "Get in my car."

"Where are we going?" She asked, getting into the car.

He turned on the ignition. "Where do you think?" he muttered.

……………………………

"I told you not to call him yet," Wilson told Kate as Angel and Cameron walked through his door.

"She didn't," Cameron said forcefully. "I did. We need to find House."

"Allison's right," Angel said. "We need to find him and shut him down now before he hurts any of you or anyone else."

Wilson took supplies out of cabinet. "It's been several hours. You know he has already fed."

Angel's voice was harsh. "And whose fault is that?"

Wilson slammed the wooden stake in his hand against the counter. "Don't you think I realize that?"

Kate stepped between them. "Don't start this. A fight isn't going to help."

"So what do we do?" Cameron looked around the group.

Wilson put the supplies in his bag. "Not 'we,' just me and Angel."

Angel cocked an eyebrow. "I know it's just House, but do you think that's a good idea? We should at least call in Faith."

Wilson put his leather bag on his shoulder. "The great champion I've read books about can't take out one vampire?"

Angel followed him out the door. "There's books about me?"

"Angel!"

He turned to look at Cameron's distraught face. He walked over to her in two quick strides. "Everything will be fine. We'll find him."

She reached out and grabbed his hand. "I feel like I won't see you again."

He squeezed it. "Maybe you won't, but not because I'll get hurt."

He walked past Wilson and told him that he would wait for him in his car.

Wilson kissed Kate goodbye. Kate said, "Don't be stupid."

He smiled. "When you're House's friend, that's hard not to be."

She shook her head. "He's not your friend anymore."

Without a word, he stared at her for a moment and then turned and left, leaving Cameron and Kate standing in the hotel room.

………………………………

Kate had called them to say that a murder had been called through the police scanner. Angel drove to the bar. "He was here," he said. "I can smell him."

They got back in the convertible. "Can you track him?" Wilson asked.

Angel shook his head. "He must have got on his motorcycle. He wasn't on foot."

Wilson took a deep breath. "We can start going to places he's most likely to go to. I think we should start at the brothel."

"Brothel?"

Wilson laughed. "House doesn't like sex with personal attachments."

Angel looked over at Wilson. He was in his own world of pain and reminiscing. Angel asked, "When it comes, can you do this?"

Wilson looked at the bag in his lap. "Yeah, I can do this."

Angel cocked his head as he drove. "I know this probably isn't the time to say this, I hope you do right by Kate. She likes you."

Wilson looked towards the sidewalk. "You're right. This isn't the time. But, you know, it would be a _great_ time for you to have a vision."

"I think you're about to get your wish," Angel said, gritting his teeth. His eyes shut involuntarily and the car swerved as flashes spun in his head. "I know where he is."

………………………

The best thing about being human was being able to taste the blooming onion. Spike's eyes rolled back into his head as he dipped some of it into the dressing and then put it in his mouth. "Lorne, I can't believe you sell these in your restaurant."

Lorne took a drink from the bar and said, "It's only for you, doodle. I've heard how much you like them. Would you be a doll and read some of your poetry to the crowd later?"

Spike gulped from his beer. "If it would appease the masses…and clear my bill."

"Consider it done, Blondie-bear." Lorne slapped him on the back and walked towards the stage to sing.

"Is this how you celebrate your success? Eating alone?"

Spike turned to see who addressed him, saying, "Have you ever had a blooming onion, mate? They are the dandiest things."

"I've recently discovered better options," the person said.

It was House.

"So," Spike said, "did you save Angel's friend?"

House tilted his head. "He's alive. I don't know about saved."

Spike took another bite of his food. "So, what are you doing here? Want the Host to read your future?"

House ordered a drink. "I know my future."

Spike gave him a sideways look. "I'm pretty sure your future is trying to pick splinters out of your heart before you turn to dust." House looked at him with raised eyebrows. Spike rolled his eyes. "I may be human now," he said, "but I've been a vampire much longer than that. I think I can still pick one out of a crowd."

…………………………

Angel and Wilson stepped out of the car. "He went to Lorne's restaurant? He wasn't nearly this stupid when he was human," Wilson said.

Angel shrugged. "He's new without a sire to guide him. He's not going to be too smart or diabolical at the starting gate."

They entered the restaurant and looked around. Spotting House with Spike, they bounded towards them.

Spike saw them and said, "It's about time you found him. I thought I was going to have to make my night perfect by a hearty round of violence, and I'm not as strong as I used to be."

Angel blinked at him. "Sometimes I wish you were still a vampire so I could hit you harder."

"If wishes were ponies, my friend." Spike said smugly.

"Are we going to do this?" House asked. "I'm getting terribly bored with this homoerotic banter. If I wanted to hear it, I'd start my own dialogue with Wilson."

Wilson grabbed onto the strap of his bag tighter. "It's time to finish this, House."

House squinted. "Let's finish it, then."

Angel put his hand out. "Not in here. Violence is prohibited in Lorne's club."

House cockily went outside to the back of the building with them. "You think you can kill me?" He moved like a caged animal. "I'm finally what I want to be, Wilson. I'm not going to let it go."

Wilson shifted. "This isn't you. Greg House is gone."

"And that's your problem, isn't it, Jimmy? You need me to need you and the limping, whining, loser that was Greg House no longer exists and you don't know what to do. You don't have anyone to save."

Spike laughed. "There you go, Angel. There's actually a vampire who talks more than you do."

"Can we all stop talking and start punching now?" Angel asked, raising his hands to question them.

"Good idea," Wilson said. Wilson had taken a small rock from his bag while inside the restaurant. It was in his hand now as he hit Spike as hard as he could, knocking him out.

"What the hell—" Angel started, but before he could finish the statement, Wilson threw the rock down between Angel and House and said something in Latin. Both collapsed as the rock created a bright light around them.

Spike was the first to come to. "What was that? What did you do?"

Wilson sat against the restaurant's wall. "If all went well, I didn't kill them."

Spike pulled a pack of cigarettes from his jacket and put one in his mouth. While he lit it, he said, "Well, they're not two piles of dust, so that's a good sign."

"Can I have one of those?" Wilson said, looking at the cigarette pack. Taking one, he said, "I think they'll both want to kill me when they wake up."

Spike's face scrunched. "Why?"

Wilson's face was blank. "Because I transferred Angel's curse to House."

Spike exploded. "You did what? What does that mean for Angel?"

Wilson blinked. "I'm not sure, but I think he's probably—"

Angel groaned, interrupting Wilson's theory. He turned over on his side, facing Spike and Wilson.

Spike leaned forward. "Angel," he whispered. "Are you okay?"

Angel breathed deeply, closing and reopening his eyes slowly. "My heart's beating," he said, panicked and confused. "I'm human."

A few moments later, House started to move. He looked over at Wilson, and then Spike, and Angel. "Oh my…what…is…damn it," he mumbled.

Wilson walked over to him and squatted down next to him. "House, do you know where you are?"

House panted and tried to sit up. "I—I killed someone."

Wilson put his hand on House's shoulder. "I know. But you have your soul again. You'll be okay."

House barked at him. "I'm a vampire with a soul who killed someone. Do you really think I'm going to be okay?"

Spike took a drag of his cigarette. "It's a lot easier than what you'd think it is." Then he looked over at Angel. "And how are you doing, mate? It's a lot stranger to become human than vampire, eh?"

Angel shook his head, trying to clear it. "This can't be right. The Powers can't want this."

Wilson said, "But you got a vision telling you where House was. They obviously put you here."

His tongue darted out and wet his lips. "I need to talk to someone," he said, recalling the last time he accidentally became human. That had been a mistake and it had ended horribly. He couldn't do it again.

Spike tossed his cigarette to the ground. "Loren's inside."

As soon as the group walked back into the restaurant and Lorne saw them he said, "Holy Hannah Montana! Can I leave you people alone for longer than five minutes?"

Spike cocked his head. "I take it they don't have to sing."

Lorne stared at him. "Uh, no." He led them to his living quarters in the back of the building. "Okay, can someone please become sane again and explain to me how Angel's heart is pitter pattering and the not-so-good doctor has become 'Baby Angel'?"

Wilson explained to him what happened.

Angel faced Wilson and asked, "How did you know how to do that?"

Wilson looked down at the ground. "I may have not been completely honest about my abilities in the occult."

Angel threw back his head. "You implied you were good."

"Well," he said, dropping his leather bag to the floor and sitting down on Lorne's couch, "I'm damn good."

Lorne guffawed. "I'd say so. With one spell, you've completely changed the course of these two men."

"Lorne, are we supposed to fix this?" Angel asked, taking off his jacket. He was suddenly getting hot.

"You're going to have to sing some "Mandy" for me now, sugar," Lorne said. Angel did. Then Lorne looked over at House and said, "Okay, now you."

"Does it have to be Manilow?"

Lorne rolled his red eyes. "There really isn't much of a difference between having a soul and _not_ having a soul with you, is there?" House took a moment and started singing a Stones song.

"What do you know?" Angel asked.

Lorne slowly started to smile. "You got your wish, Dorothy. You're not in Kansas anymore."

Spike sat down next to Wilson. "Were we supposed to get that? Was that actually in English?"

Lorne gave Spike a look. "I mean that Angel is on his path." He walked up to Angel and put his hand on his arm. He had always hoped that his friend would find happiness and this was the closest he was going to get to it. "This is it, buddy. You're meant to have this. It feels right."

"And what about me?" House asked.

"You just became the new champion. I hope you're ready to take the mission."

"What about the visions?" Angel asked. "I can't handle them as a human."

"You don't have them anymore," Lorne said. "Everything transferred through the spell. You're a completely normal human now."

Spike crossed his legs and lit another cigarette. "So that leaves me with one question not that you're a real boy."

"What?" Angel asked.

"Are you headed to Cameron or Buffy?"

TBC


	18. Decisions

Chapter 18

Wilson sat on House's couch, his arms resting on his legs. "Are you pissed at me?"

House scoffed. "I'm the one that voluntarily became a vampire and you're wondering if I'm pissed at you? No, I'm not angry." And he wasn't. He was terrified, but he wasn't in pain, he had his soul back, and he was finally forced to change his life. He couldn't go back to his diagnostics department. He couldn't be a doctor now. He had been unhappy for a long time because he had been too afraid to change.

"I'm not angry at you either," Wilson said, his voice calm and still. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." He wasn't sure what to do with himself now. He had accidentally killed patients before by misdiagnosis or not being able to figure the illness out, but he had never killed someone for his own pleasure or benefit before and he didn't know how to handle it.

Wilson rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Do you want to take Angel's mission? Do you want to help the helpless?"

House took the Vicodin from his pocket and threw it in the trash. He would detox, but it felt like he was shedding the past. "How do I do it by myself?"

Wilson smiled. "I'll always fight with you."

House shook his head. "No, you should stay here with Kate. I think I need to leave for now."

Wilson nodded. "Then there might be another option." They sat in silence until he said, "And what about the curse? If you ever have a moment of pure happiness, you'll lose your soul."

House laughed without mirth. "I've never had a moment of bliss before, so I don't think I'll start now. And if I do for some reason, I trust you to bring me back."

…………………………………

Angel walked into Keen's hospital room. Faith was asleep in a chair, her feet propped up on the bed. He sat down in the chair next to her. He smiled sadly. She'd always be his _soul_ mate, his one friend in which they had both pulled each other out of the blackness. But her world would no longer be his. He wouldn't be able to fight with her now. She would leave with Keen and he would only see her every once in a while.

He nudged her. She stirred and looked over at him with a tired smile. "Hey, boss. What's up?"

He leaned towards her. "Wilson cast a spell tonight and—"

Her brow furrowed. "Wait, why?"

"Because House became a vampire."

Her eyes got big. "What! Why didn't you call me?"

He shook his head. "Wilson tricked me by challenging my manly pride. Anyway, he cast a spell to save House and long story short, I'm human and House is a vampire with a soul."

She nodded her head slowly as if processing. "Okay, how many drugs have you taken tonight?"

He laughed and stood in front of the mirror on the wall. "I have a reflection, Faith."

She bolted from her chair and hugged him. "Angel, is this for real?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm human."

Her face dropped a little. "What are we going to do?"

"I talked to Wilson a few minutes ago. He thinks you and Keen can help House find his mission. I think you can, too."

She clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. "He's not you, Angel."

"You don't need me, but House needs you." He looked over at Keen. "Did you…?"

She smiled and looked down as she blushed. "We're together. He felt the same way."

Angel smiled back. "That's great, Faith. Now all you have to do is follow your path."

She hit him on the arm. "So do you."

He laughed, rubbing his arm. "I'm human now. That kind of hurt."

……………………………

Cameron had gone home and tried to cry herself to sleep. Her world had completely changed for worse, then better, then terribly worse in just one weekend. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She certainly couldn't sleep. She was making tea when she heard a knock at the door. When she opened it, she let out a gust of air when she saw Angel. "What happened? Is everything okay?"

Without speaking, he lifted her hand to his heart. "That's what happened," he said on a whisper.

She saw the tears in his eyes and she could feel the beat underneath her fingertips. "What is going on, Angel?"

He put his hands around her waist and rushed into the apartment. "I'm human. Wilson cast a spell for House and it made me human. House is okay and I'm human."

She shook her head in disbelief. "What does this mean?"

He drew her close and said, "It means I want you. I want to kiss you and be with you more than anyone else."

She pulled back. "Even Buffy?"

A tear rolled down his cheek. "Yes, even Buffy. Buffy allowed me to be here. She saved me. But you are my future."

"Do you want to stay here?"

He wrapped his arms completely around her. "I don't care. I just want to stay with you. I'll go wherever you want to go."

She smiled, crying again but this time, tears of joy. "Right now, I want to go to the bedroom."

They both laughed as he picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. He kissed her hard and passionately, his tongue dipping far into her mouth, teasing her tongue. She ran her fingers through his hair. They moaned loving names and dirty words as he carried her to the bed and laid her there. She slipped her hands underneath his sweater and pulled it off, kissing his chest once it was bare. He hissed in pleasure and pulled her nightshirt and shorts off her body. His breath caught in his lungs as he saw her naked body shuddering underneath him. He reveled in looking at her as much as realizing that he had breath to catch.

Her knees came around his hips and she unbuttoned his pants. He licked at her chest and nipped at her stomach, her back arching at his movements.

He rolled over on his back to take off is pants. She boldly rolled over as well and sat atop him, straddling his thighs. He rubbed her hair through his fingers and stared lovingly at her glorious body on his own.

"Are you ready?" she asked, knowing what this meant for him.

"Are you?" he panted.

She leaned over quickly, her chest pressing into his, and licked at his lips. Then she sat back up and allowed herself to be entered by him. They cried out before they began to rock together. She lifted his hand to her mouth and playfully bit his finger before taking that finger into her mouth. His eyes rolled back on a sharp sigh. He had never imagined that a woman this reserved would be this bold and wonderful in bed. He took his wet finger and traced it down her neck and chest, circling her curves. She rode him tighter out of reaction to his deft fingers. Her head felt like it was on fire. Every nerve she had was tingling. He lifted his fingers back to her mouth to dip them in her wet center again. He lowered his hand to where their bodies met and rubbed those wet fingers across her other wet center until she was so out of her mind that her legs shook and she had to lie down against his body in order not to fall over.

They came together in perfect bliss in each other's arms.

When Angel woke up hours later, he smiled down at her and held her tightly.

………………………………

Cuddy sat in her office the next morning, talking to Giles on the phone. Wilson had called and told her everything that had happened. "I just wanted to tell you that I had a great time last night until the phone call."

He stammered boyishly on the other line. "Yes, I did, too. Quite a nice time."

She took a deep breath before saying, "Do you think it will happen again or are you leaving?"

He paused and then said, "I'd very much like to stay if you feel the same way." When she said that she did, he continued, "I can start a training center here for American Slayers. I planned on asking Dr. Wilson if he would help me."

She smiled. "I'm sure he'd love to do that."

"Then, I'll see you for dinner tonight?"

Her voice dropped deeper and seductively. "Yes, you certainly will." They said their goodbyes and then told her secretary to send Chase into her office.

"You wanted to see me," he said, standing in his white jacket, a patient's folder in his hand.

She said, "House is leaving. He cannot be a doctor in his condition now. And Cameron has decided to go on a sabbatical with an option of never coming back."

His eyebrows rose. "So, where does that leave the Diagnostics Department?"

She put her hands together. "Where it's been heading for a long while now. In your hands."

He stuck his bottom lip out. "I don't understand."

She stood up and came over to him. "Dr. Chase, you are a fantastic doctor, a dynamic leader, and you are the brightest mind we have in this hospital now. I want you to _run _the Diagnostics Department. You will hire your own team and you will be their boss."

He didn't know what to say. But as we walked through what was once House's office, he stood there and looked through the glass walls and out the windows. His heart was still smarting over Cameron, but the hole that was gaping inside of him just got smaller. This was his. He was going to be the doctor that he knew he could be, that he wanted to be. He had purpose and it wasn't tied into the hopes of someone else making him happy. _He_ would make him happy.

He smiled as he walked over and sat down at his new desk.

TBC


	19. Epilogue

This is it. I want to thank everyone who stuck by this incredibly slow process and read it. Please leave a review after you've read this last chapter and let me know what you think! Thank you again very much.

Epilogue

"I can't believe we're here," Cameron said, stepping out of the hotel shower.

Angel put on his jeans and buttoned them, his tan line showing at his waist. "I wanted you to see it."

A corner of her mouth lifted into a half smile. "It's beautiful. Thank you for wanting to share this with me."

He put on his shirt and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Thank you for sharing it with me." He leaned down and kissed her.

She laughed. "If I would have known you'd be this sappy, I would have requested you stay a vampire."

He grinned. "You know you love it when I'm cheesy." He tickled her stomach and then pulled the towel away from her so that he could slide his hands down her moist body.

She batted him away playfully and put on a dress. She hadn't worn a dress for ages, but being here did something to her. It felt natural.

She went to the window, her long reddish hair flowing down her back, accentuated by the green pattern in her dress. She gazed out at the beautiful scenery around them. He stood behind her, the sun kissing both of their faces.

The emerald green hills rolled out in front of them. "I love Ireland," she said in awe. "I've never seen anything like it."

He squeezed her body close to his and whispered in her ear, "And I love you."

………………………………

It had taken several days for House, Keen, and Faith to drive across the country.

As House stepped out of the car, he said, "This place is a cesspool."

Keen smirked at him, throwing a bag over his shoulder. "That's kind of why we're here."

"C'mon, newbie," Faith said to House. "You'll like it here once you're ready. But first we're going to have to train you physically."

"Oh, joy," House muttered. But in reality, he was excited. He was going to be doing good for the sake of good—not to solve a puzzle, not to make himself feel better. "But why LA?"

Keen kissed Faith on the cheek and opened the door. "Because everyone needs help in LA."

Faith turned to look at House. "Plus, there's tons of demons here."

House stood in the night air and looked at the building. Then he stepped inside and looked up at its vastness and old beauty. "Okay, so why are we at an old hotel?"

Faith stopped beside him and looked at it. "Because it's the Hyperion. It's home."

Keen shrugged. "Well, it was never actually our home, but it was the home of Angel Investigations."

Faith set her bag down in the lobby and pulled out a box of calling cards. They were the original ones that Cordelia had made all of those years ago, the one with the angel on it that looked like a lobster. She let out a breath and looked at the brown and red marble around her. "And Angel Investigations is finally home, boys."

She could feel the history and the love that had been in this building. It never had been her home, but it felt like it was.

She clapped her hands together and said, "Okay, people, let's get to work."

The End.


End file.
